Phone versus a text message

When should you use which?

Phone phobia is a real thing. There’s an intensity to a phone call or video call and pressure to say the right thing on the fly. It’s similar to communication apprehension or stage fright.

Before smart phones we remember making phone calls to our friends after school. But now that we’re accustomed to smart phones and delayed communication (i.e., emails and texts) people seem to be experiencing more apprehension and avoid telephone calls as best they can.

But we still do need to strengthen the phone call communication skills muscle because there are times that we should choose this communication channel over asynchronous communication (i.e., text, email).

Let’s first talk about what might be better conveyed through text:

Logistics, when you need a written record of something. This also make it easier to search for embedded links or travel info.

Using text messages ensures that everything is communicated clearly. You can read trough it and know exactly what you said. You can also review what you said later if you need to refresh your memory.

With a phone call, in the absence of a written record it’s very easy to forgot both what you said and what the other person said. Details can be overlooked or forgotten

So if details are an important part of the message or even the main message you hope to convey, then having a written record is important. In that case, you’d want to use a text or email as your mode of communication for a detail-oriented message.

What is better conveyed over the phone?

Catch up calls with friends is a good thing to do over the phone. This ensures they’re limited back and forth via text that might end up being overly time consuming or exhausting. Instead expend your energy in a telephone call where you can have a relaxed chat with a friend whom you haven’t seen in a while and share the goings-on in each other’s lives.

Circling back to the previous example of detail-oriented messaged involving logistics. In the early planning stages, well before logistics are of import, you can schedule phone call to talk high level about what you are both planning. This could be for a vacation, a corporate retreat, a birthday party, etc. Brainstorming over the phone is the way to go. Doing the brainstorming phase in writing often ends up being a mess of words. Sifting through texts and emails can get overly complicated and confusing to the point where it becomes counterproductive to coming up with ideas. So it’s best to have a phone call to discuss ideas high-level and allow the magic of a brainstorm to unfold organically. 

Another reason you would want to use the phone is when the communication is emotionally charged. You want to make sure you’re communicating your meaning and whatever sentiment you want to convey. That’s better to do with your voice and even facial expressions, so using a video call would work best for this if in-person interaction is unavailable. Doing something like this, with so many nuances, will be more high-resolution in a video call.

Hybrid approach: both phone and text

Sometimes when scheduling a phone call or video call it’s nice to leverage text messaging to ask who’s available for a meeting or catch up call among friends, especially if people are dialing in from different Time Zones. This way people can chime in when convenient, schedule a time that works for everyone and then the phone/video call is where all the information is exchanged.  

The phone itself can be very effective while still maintaining people’s privacy. It’s less obtrusive than a video call. Even though everyone’s on their phones 24/7 there is still an understanding of giving space to the person and being as unobtrusive as possible. This is why scheduling a call ahead of time can be a good idea rather than picking up the phone and dialing your bestie or colleagues.

To Overcome Phone Phobia

Create situations where you need to make a phone call. Go out on a limb and practice making phone calls. The reality is that we still use the phone as a mode of communication.

Explearning Challenge // Phone call exercises:

• Place a pizza order (food order) over the phone
• Book a salon appointment / doctor’s appointment over the phone
• Do a long catch-up call with a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while.

There are very good use cases for both. Being smart about which you use can dramatically enhance the quality of your communication. People who are effective at navigating these differences are more clearly and effectively able to communicate their ideas and thoughts. 

Practice these strategies. Leverage as many communication channels as possible to get better at each mode of communicating. 

If you want to know about the different communication channels, have a look at this lesson here.

We’ll see you in the next one!

Happy Explearning ⚡

About the Author and the Explearning Academy:

Mary Daphne is an expert in communication, executive interpersonal skills, and personal development. She is the founder of the Explearning Academy, a platform dedicated to helping individuals enhance their social fluency, boost their careers, and elevate their social game. Through immersive group coaching programs like the Executive Communication Lab and self-guided journeys, participants gain the social superpowers and career catapults they've been searching for. If you're ready to take your negotiation skills to the next level and connect with like-minded individuals, visit academy.explearning.co and explore the various plans available. Join the Explearning Academy community and unlock your full potential.

Thank you for reading! If you found this blog post valuable, don't forget subscribe to our YouTube channel and follow our podcast!

✨

🎁5-DAY FREE CHALLENGE 🎁
🎤 Sign up for my group coaching program🎤
🤩 Join our community 🤩 for a self-guided fully-supported journey
✨ Learn more about Explearning Academy ✨
🏆 Sign up for our 33-Day Executive Excellence Challenge 🏆