Why a Phone Call Is Better Than an Email (Usually)

Welsh poppy.

Why a Phone Call Is Better Than an Email (Usually)

Ross McCammon

 This isn’t going to be about efficiency. Sometimes the phone is a more efficient way to communicate than e-mail, and sometimes it isn’t. If two people leave a dozen messages on each other’s voice mail, that’s a lot less efficient than sending a single e-mail and reading a reply to it. 

No, this isn’t going to be about how telephonic communication helps you work faster. 

This is about how the phone makes you work better. 

Because unlike e-mail, the phone forces you to be more emphatic, more accurate, more honest. 

Tell that to a neuroscientist, and before you’ve even finished the sentence he’ll start laughing

—at what you’re saying, and the accompanying emotional gradients.

What, you’re not aware of emotional gradients? You have tons of them, and you’re constantly communicating them to people—but only when you speak, not when you write. 

“We’re picking up and processing heard information 

within 50 milliseconds of someone speaking.

A lot of this information doesn’t get processed at a cognitive level,” says Seth Horowitz,

an auditory neuroscientist. “Some of the first targets for heard information

are emotional substrates, so [when] listening to someone’s voice,

you’re picking up emotional gradients from them.” 

Read the following e-mails and consider the emotional gradients that aren’t being conveyed.

From: Corleone, Michael “Don”

To: Staff

Subject: Me

Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! 

Best,

DC

From: Gekko, Gordon

To: Fox, Bud

Subject: Lunch

… is for wimps. 

-G

From: Blake

To: The Fellas

Subject: Reminder

ABC. A—always. B—be. C—closing.
Always be closing. Always be closing.

Yours in closing,

Blake

Joe Huff, co-founder of Los Angeles-based LSTN Headphones, which partners with a nonprofit

that provides hearing aids to people in need, is—obviously—a believer in the power of voice. 

“There have been so many times, a new store or account or potential press relationship,

we’ve gotten on the phone with them and after the conversation, even [after] just a 15-minute story about what we do and why, they say, ‘Wow, I read everything on your website,

but to hear you tell it, there’s a huge difference.’

Because we have a passion-based business, it’s really important for us to get that across.”

This happens all the time in business. Yet we are still wary of picking up the phone.

We don’t want to bother people. We think they don’t want to talk. And maybe they don’t.

But you’re not ever going to find that out through e-mail. You’ll find it out on the phone.

If they stammer, hedge and pause, then you have valuable information.

Maybe not the information you were looking for, but valuable info nonetheless. 

THE MEANING OF SILENCE

Speaking of pausing, it’s important to remember that some of the most valuable information comes from the pauses in a phone conversation.

Pauses that simply don’t exist in written communication.

Says Horowitz: “There have been studies that show that if you’re presenting a listener 

with a series of words or tones, and you take an extended silence, 

certain populations of cells in their brains start looking for the signal, 

and if it doesn’t happen in a certain period of time,

it triggers arousal centers, emotional centers.

Silence is an important part of communication, and something people don’t pay attention to.”

Our obsession with e-mail denies a crucial truth about human beings: that we have evolved

as listeners, not as readers. Here’s Horowitz again—and as you read this paragraph,

think about how much more powerful it would be if this guy were talking to you on the phone: 

“We think about ourselves as being the new smartest rulers of the planet, but our ears

have evolved, and a basic brain circuitry of hearing has evolved over 400 million years,

and a lot of it centered on hearing the sound of your own species. That’s the most important signal, even if you can’t see them. Hearing evolved as your alarm system, because we’re diurnal, we don’t see well at night, but our hearing is running all through the darkness 

and even when we are asleep. A sound, even without a visual tie to it, is very important to us.

We’ve evolved to listen to other people talk.”

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238385

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I can Turbo Charge Read a novel 6-7 times faster and remember what I’ve read.

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To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”

Do you hear what I'm saying, do you understand?

My photo of some members having lunch at St Helen's car park, Santon Downham, Thetford Forest. UK.
We had been dowsing Ancient Saxon burial sites and two sets of ley lines.
The body language and interaction between the two groups of three are very apparent to me.
I'm wearing the hat - as is usual :)

Interacting With Others - Basic Communication

Tracey Fieber

With much of our daily life involving interactions with other people, it's surprising how few individuals actually comprehend the core concepts of good communication.

Interactions between people can be superficial occurrences with neither party gaining anything,

or they can create a sturdy connection where bonds are established and a mutual understanding

of the participants' thoughts is promoted.

In order to get the most out of the interactions you face on a daily basis,

it is crucial that you can grasp the core communication skills needed to truly connect with others.

If you want to improve the way you relate with others, here are three basic communication skills

you should work on:

1. Be A Good Listener

Being a good listener is the building block to establishing healthy communication.

Often times, people get so wrapped up with their opinions and concerns that they completely neglect those of the person they're speaking with.

Active listening involves truly understanding what you're being told and repeating back the core ideas 

to ensure that you're on the same page with the person speaking.

Not only will this improve the comprehension you have of your conversational partner's mindset, 

but will also help forge a deeper bond between the two of you.

M’reen> I’ve recently been to a business network meeting where a new person came in and covered 

the area with his leaflets and proceeded to have in depth conversations – or were they sale pitches 

to individuals and groups in the room. He probably had a very successful meeting 

not realising that he was simply ‘fresh meat’ that may prove to be useful 

no matter how overbearing and uninterested he was in the other participants.

2. Understand Body Language

While experts argue on the amount of conversation which is done through non-verbal cues,

there is no doubt that body language plays an important role in getting to the bottom of someone's intentions. From obvious signals such as crossed arms (which hint that the person you're speaking with is closed-off or not open to new suggestions) to the way that their feet are pointed (someone sitting 

or standing with their feet pointed towards the door might be looking to make a quick exit 

from your conversation), knowing the underlying meaning of body language will help you greatly 

as you network and deal with others.

M’reen> at the same meeting I joined three people, the middle one of the triangle I didn’t know

so I stood closer to the person on my right who accused me of invading his personal space!

3. Watch Your Tone

Tone of voice is one of the most basic communication skills to understand, and can be an invaluable asset when speaking. Conversing in a loud, low tone shows confidence on the part of the speaker, 

while talking softly or in a high-pitched manner exerts shyness or a lack of confidence in what is being said. The speed at which you speak can also make a difference in how you're interpreted. 

Speaking slowly gives your words the opportunity to sink in, whereas rushing through

your sentences can make you appear less comfortable in the situation and may make it difficult

for the person you're speaking to comprehend what you're telling them - with the end result likely being their loss of interest.

M’reen> I simply can’t hear people with low voices. On my Bereavement Counselling training we were supposed to give all the body language signs of being inattentive but the person explaining his needs 

to me felt that I was paying intent attention as I couldn’t help giving him little sharp glances. 

While sharp glances are not recommended he just needed confirmation that I was listening.

Interacting with others is an occurrence that most people face on a daily basis, both for work

and for pleasure. Whether it is a client at the office or a family member at home, understanding

the basics of communication will allow you to convey your thoughts better while gaining a more intimate comprehension of what others are trying to tell you (or sometimes even what they're attempting to hide). By listening, looking out for body language signals and effectively conveying your thoughts through 

your words and tone, you can easily and vastly improve the quality of your daily interactions with others.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_Fieber

Perhaps you’d like to check out my sister blogs:

www.innermindworking.blogspot.com            gives many ways for you to work with the stresses of life

www.turbochargedreading.blogspot.com       describes the steps to reading in the way your mind prefers

www.happyartaccidents.blogspot.com          just for fun

To quote the Dr Seuss himself, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.

The more that you learn; the more places you'll go.”