No matter what industry you're in, email is helping you. With this decades-old amazing technology, you can send messages anywhere in the world in seconds for almost no cost. With your laptop or smartphone, you can use email to conduct business on the beach or in the boardroom, and anywhere in between.
Email communication in business
Email communication is almost instantaneous, facilitated by the rapid dissemination of information and quick response to customer inquiries. It also enables faster problem-solving and streamlining of business processes. As a result, small business owners can get more done in less time.
Email allows businesses to advertise to a target audience. Customers can choose to receive email notifications about products they own, sales, or new projects. Customers who receive targeted emails based on their preferences may be more responsive.
RELATED: 12 Email Writing Etiquettes You Should Follow
Phone communication in business
An effective business phone system promotes good communication between the business and its customers. The phone provides faster interaction than email, is more personal, and is quick and easy to use.
Phones provide a more personal touch, allowing businesses to communicate with customers in real-time, two-way. The tone of voice you use on the phone adds dimension and emotion to your words, increasing the effectiveness of your communication.
RELATED: Communications Best Handled Over the Phone
Recommendations on when to use them
The best time to use either email or phone for client communication will depend on the following factors:
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Urgency:
Urgent information is best communicated by phone. This is because the information needs to be passed across in the shortest possible time. Sending urgent information through email may likely not be seen on time by the recipient.
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Formality:
To have a tone of formality, information is best communicated through email. For example, say you got a scholarship to study at a UK university. You will likely be informed through email than on phone. This is because passing across such information needs a tone of formality, which won’t be achieved if done over the phone.
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Sensitivity of information:
Sensitive information which may easily be misinterpreted is best communicated by phone. On the other hand, sensitive information which is fairly straightforward to understand should be communicated through email. This is because you wouldn’t want that conversation to be overheard by another person. The information should remain confidential.
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The volume of information:
When you want to pass across a relatively large volume of information at once, you should do so through email. This is because such information needs to be ‘digested’ gradually by the recipient. Passing across a large volume of information over the phone could lead to information overload .
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The number of recipients:
It is nearly impossible to communicate a piece of information to a large number of recipients instantly over the phone. Such information should be sent through emails.
Other times, when communicating with very few recipients, you may do this over the phone.
You can also reach a large number of recipients using Bulk SMS through SmartSMSSolutions. Copy out/Extract their emails and phone numbers from your database with SmartSMS Extraction Tool. Then type out the information you would like to pass across and press Send. Sign up with SmartSMSSolutions to get started!
When making communications with your clients and customers, you shouldn’t stick to only one mode of communication. There should be a balance and a good mix of communication modes that would be more convenient for the client at that particular time.
For example, sometimes some of your clients might want you to use a particular mode of communication to interact with them (maybe only through email), in such cases, you should honor their wishes and communicate with them only through email. Even though a time might come when you will need to contact them through phone, you should still reach them through email.
An option for you to think about which lies perfectly between oral phone communication and email is SMS. In a case where you are confused about which way to reach a particular client or group of clients, you could consider using SMS. SmartSMSSolutions can help you here by offering you the most affordable rates for reaching your clients through SMS. Get started with SmartSMSSolutions now!