Whatever did we do before email?
It was only 20 years ago that email services were first made available to the public and even then they were only used by a minority of people. It was not until 2004 that Google launched its Gmail service which helped popularise the use of email as a day-to-day communication tool. Today everyone has one or more email accounts and we are constantly checking our inboxes. That’s not surprising because over 205 billion emails are sent out every single day!
However, the sheer volume is one of the things that reduces the effectiveness of email. We are simply so overwhelmed that we simply don’t have time to act in a way the author intended.
The ability to persuade by email has also been challenged in research published earlier this year in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Results from the study showed that face-to-face requests were 34 times more likely to be successful than ones that were emailed.
This confirms what I have always believed through both instinct and experience – that personal contact is the most effective way of building business relationships. After all, when you send someone an email the communication can easily be deleted, is only one way and can therefore often be misunderstood.
When you meet in person (or connect through electronic means) you are part of a dialogue that involves listening and leads to greater understanding. That process is absolutely vital if you want to build trusted relationships.
Email does have its uses of course, but nothing beats the personal touch.
Make an effort to meet and speak face-to-face with your business contacts and I believe you will notice a significant impact on your success.
How can I help you? I specialise in helping my clients reach their personal and business goals… easier and quicker than you might otherwise achieve on your own!
If you would like to find out how I can help you please don’t hesitate to get in touch.