When not to send emails and pick up the phone instead

“Regardless of the changes in technology, the market for well-crafted messages will always have an audience.” — Steve Burnett

In today’s world of rapid-fast communication via texts and emails, most of us would rather shoot off a written message than make a phone call. It’s fast, efficient when used properly, and it provides a nice document trail for our work records. Written communication is more important than ever, yet very few people know when writing is the right – or wrong – form of communication. In this article we will analyse when to embrace and when to avoid written communication. Sometimes a good old phone call is still the best way forward. Do you know when?

When and when not to use written communication

Sure, sending an email is easy. How many of us haven’t written one while on hold with another call or in those few moments between one meeting and the next? Texts are even easier – and let you send information from virtually anywhere.

Yet when is written communication most effective, and when is it not? There are a number of factors that can help you make that choice.

Complexity of the topic

Using written communication is an excellent choice for sharing information that is easily organized and easily understood by the independent reader. This means that the reader can read the communication and get the message clearly without additional information from you or other sources. Meeting notices, answers to quick questions, or quick clarifications are all easy to complete with written communication.

However, there is a point at which written communication becomes inefficient for one of several reasons. The information may be too complex to organize in a manner that will be intelligible to your reader without further assistance. The amount of explanation required to make the information intelligible might be cumbersome, leading to misinterpretation or lack of understanding. In the long run, you’ll end up answering so many follow-up emails or phone calls that in these cases you would have been better off having a face-to-face meeting or in a formal training session.

Amount of ‘discussion’ required

If the topic is complex or involved enough that there will need to be a long exchange of discussion-type emails, the longer you allow the exchange to continue in writing, the more you are risking that someone will misunderstand.

Furthermore, you can’t be assured that everyone who received the email has actually had the chance to participate in the discussion unless you are able to track the receipt of others’ emails or require everyone to respond one way or the other. Therefore, decision making, long, involved explanations or conversations, or controversial subjects are not usually good topics for written communication.

Shades of meaning

Non-verbal communication is the most important form of communication in getting your message delivered. When you are writing, you are left to the small portion of communication that is possible through words alone in getting your message through to your reader. So the more intense the emotions around a topic or the more important the message is, the less likely writing will be a successful form of communicating.

For example, it can be difficult to convey tone of voice, humor, sarcasm, or other shades of meaning in writing alone. Don’t risk offending someone or causing confusion by someone not understanding your true meaning by trusting written communication with the task of conveying highly emotional or important information.

Formal communication

Although there are exceptions, written communication is still the common choice when the level of formality between two parties is high. For example, think about your customers or clients. Chances are that formal communication such as contract terms, sales agreements, account information, or other legal or administrative information will be transmitted in written form.

This gives you both the information in a format that you can pass on as needed, and gives you both reference material to help you in continuing your communication. As the level of formality decreases in the relationship, you are more likely to move from paper documentation to email communication as well.

If you are looking for more communication input then “Effective Communication Skills” written by MTD Training is the right choice for you.