When it comes to communicating whether it’s with your co-workers, your VA or with your clients, it’s important to find a way that works for both of you. The most commonly used methods are:
Personally, I prefer email for customer communications. Email communication gives a written record of exactly what was requested, when it was requested and is easy to refer back to if needed. It’s also really easy to flag an email for follow-up. It works on your schedule – so if inspiration strikes at 1am, you can just fire off an email, similarly, receiving an email means you’re not distracted from whatever you’re working on. Lastly, using tools like Outlook or Gmail, it’s just so easy to sort, categorize and flag emails.
Pros
- The conversation is documented
- Easy to refer to when working
- Writing things down can help clarify the issue and the process of writing the email promotes conciseness
- The whole conversation is in one “run-on” document
- It is less intrusive to the recipient than a telephone call that demands immediate attention
Cons
- Can take a lot longer for an issue to be discussed and resolved
- Emails can be misplaced/accidentally deleted
- Misunderstandings can occur if the email is unclear
- If you’re expecting an important email you can easily be distracted by other emails/too frequent checking
- It’s much more difficult to judge “tone” of an email
Telephone and Video
Others may prefer telephone communication. It’s relatively instant – that is, if the other person answers, you have a conversation and the issue is covered. There’s the ability for questions and answers to be dealt with quickly and simply. And with tools like Skype, Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it’s either free or very cheap and can be used on your computer or mobile.
Many people prefer the telephone because it’s instant, quick and you immediately know that the other person received the information.
Pros
- Quick
- Easy to ask questions and get an immediate response
- Can be done anywhere/anytime
- You can get a better feel for the other persons reactions
- Conversation promotes interpersonal relationships
Cons
- May be inconvenient
- May miss instructions while making notes;
- Call quality can make conversations impossible
- The other party has to answer their phone
- Long telephone conversations can get expensive
Chat
This is arguably the most effective way to communicate, because it combines the best of telephone and email communications with less of the negatives. It’s starting to gain in popularity as the larger platforms become less restrictive and security concerns are no longer the issue they were. There are a heap of programs that can be used for chat, Slack and Microsoft Teams are two of the more popular.
Pros
- You can usually see if the person you wish to talk to is available
- You can control who sees that you are available
- Conversations are documented
- It’s more like a conversation than email
- Is easy to switch to voice/video chat if necessary
Cons
- Need to have contact arrangements with people you want to talk to before hand
- Most platforms only work with people using the same platform (ie: Gmail chat only works within Gmail)
- Spam can be an issue
- Alternative email addresses required for most which can lead to clients emailing you on a rarely checked account
- It’s easy to “type without thinking” and say something you later regret
The most important thing however, is not The method is not but that the message is conveyed clearly and concisely. Never be afraid of being too detailed in your instructions or of repeating a key point several times. The more clear and concise the message is, the better the chances of a happy and productive exchange.
If you’d like some more ideas, check out my previous posts on communication
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