Freelancing 101: Don't Send That Email! Pick Up the Phone Instead

Introduction

Over the years I've seen people increasingly favor email, IM and texting over the phone and face-to-face meetings. Don't get me wrong, I think text-based communications are great, but an over-reliance on them can lead to miscommunication.

Here's a specific example that just happened to me:

A couple of months ago I met with a client to discuss changes to their web site. I never heard back from them, so last week I sent them an email. A week went by with no response. Now, I could have assumed the email simply got lost in the shuffle and just emailed them again, but instead I decided to give them a ring. It turns out the person I had been emailing was no longer with the company, something I wouldn't have ever found out if I had relied on email.

Here are some situations in which you might consider picking up the phone instead of sending an email:

• The client is an email procrastinator. Some people put emails aside for later but never get a chance to catch up with them.

• The client is easily distracted. Some people respond only to what's in front of them; if you're not either standing in their office or talking to them on the phone, you'll have a hard time getting a response.

• The client has a hard time committing. Some people don't like to commit, and it's easier for them to ignore your email than to commit to an answer.

• The client writes badly. Some people are poor writers. How many emails have you seen that say something like "Plz fix web text, thx."

• The project just isn't going smoothly. Unless somebody else is in the role of Project Manager, it's your job to give the client a call to suss out what's wrong.

All this applies to clients who are working with a programmer: the more important it is to ensure your programmer gets the message, the more you should be relying on voice communication.

Conclusion

Much as we might envision a frictionless society in which thoughts and ideas flow effortlessly through electronic channels, the inescapable "human factor" was, is, and always will be an important part of doing business. The less familiar a client is with you, the more important it is to either pick up the phone or meet with them in person.

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