Elon Musk __ Most important invention of mankind.
Language / Conversation – Axel Springer Award 2020
Being able to talk and express concepts – this is probably the biggest invention of humanity.
Elon Musk
Fire, the Wheel, Computers, they are all up there, but without the ability to speak and converse no innovation would have the ability to spread or be adopted. The ability to speak to others in a manner they understand is an incredible feat for mankind.
Chatting to a neighbour or colleague is simple but thanks to that other amazing innovation, the telephone, you can converse with people all over the world. Put the telephone & human conversation in the hands of business & it is a powerful combination – some businesses forget the power of conversation and neglect to use it as part of their armoury at their peril.
We have all seen the huge strides made in communications over recent years, with SMS, Instant Messaging, Web Chat & Video Conferencing, but we are about about to see a huge transformation with people actually being able to speak to each other! Imagine being able to ‘cut to the chase’ with a conversation, or showing humour or agreement, through the tone of your voice, or using words to describe opinion or opportunity – this incredible enhancement is now available on all smart phones, and brings with it huge time saving and economic benefits.
How many times have you been involved in email or IM ping pong, when parties haven’t quite understood the nuances of the message? Imagine being able to pick up a phone and speak to the other party, with full HD clarity, imagine how quickly you could use language, words and tone to convey the message? This is what a leading team of developers, Riptec, have created with their new ConXhub solution.
Quite simply you can now pick up your mobile phone and speak to someone! Amazing eh?!
Companies are learning that when it comes to communication. Emailing, IM and Video Calling has it’s place but a phone call in many cases is the better choice.
Customers love personal communication:
- 94% of mobile users have needed to call a business after searching for it on their phones
- Google research shows that 69% of customers use click to call to quickly get an answer and accomplish their buying goal.
- According to a Ringostatcase study, more affluent clients prefer to pick up the phone and call in 79 out of 100 cases.
- It was also discovered that forty-seven percent of mobile searchers will look for another brand if there is no phone number associated with their result. – Google
Of course Email, SMS and IM are incredible tools and have increased our ability to communicate across great distances, time zones, language and cultural barriers, but ignoring the power of the phone call is at your peril.
Some small business owners have seen a decline in sales due to their younger Millennial employees sending sales pitches to potential customers instead of making a call. It’s much harder to build a relationship and rapport with a client via email then it is by phone. In a Wall Street Journal article last week “Jason Nazar, a 34-year-old Santa Monica, Calif.-based technology entrepreneur, says his company has missed out on potential hires because his 20-something employees schedule interviews by email, rather than phoning applicants” Jason was quoted saying “If you can do something more quickly and more efficiently by using older technology, then do it,” Many companies are now running full blown training sessions for younger staff on how to use telephones and handle conversations because they realise the power a call can have over any other form of communication.
Here are five examples:
If it’s going to be awkward – Conversations that may be awkward on the phone are more likely to be offensive, misunderstood or even incomprehensible by email. Because awkward phone calls can sometimes turn into catastrophic email exchanges, it’s better to bite the bullet and bear the discomfort.
If you want to build a relationship – Phone calls humanise work communication in a way that email can’t. Spoken words spark collaboration and laughter. We build relationships not by exchanging information but by feeling like we’re together. Moreover, tone and context are easily misread in email, which can lead to unnecessary conflict and damage existing or potential relationships. It is hard to get the EQ (emotional intelligence) right in email.
When you’ve scheduled it – Calling someone out of the blue can feel confrontational and needy unless you have regular dialogue. This is both a courtesy and a productivity trick: by scheduling when the call will happen and how long it will last, you’re more likely to stick to the agenda and allocated time, and earn huge respect and create a stronger relationship.
If your negotiating – When you’re thinking about whether to call or send an email, ask, “Is this a negotiation or a notification?” Whenever you don’t want something in writing or you’re still talking terms or discussing, phone calls can sort out interests and information without setting anything in stone prematurely. There’s a distinction between sharing data, where one person talks at the other and conversation; where there’s a coming together and more of an exchange.
If it’s time to close the loop – If an existing email exchange is persistently unclear or unsettled, a phone call can politely put people on the spot and get a definitive answer. In short, phone calls can remove a digital bottleneck and tie up an exchange so we can move on or forward.
Fundamentally, how we communicate depends on what we’re exchanging. If you’re exchanging cut and dry information, email often suffices. If you’re exchanging thoughts, ideas, opinions or potential terms for negotiation, a phone call may be warranted.
Today, we have infinite ways of communicating information. Matching the right medium with the right topic can save us time and start more meaningful working relationships.
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ConXhub, gives users the tools to communicate via SMS, IM or Voice whether for work or personal, from just one mobile device by adding all the users phone numbers and separating them in to different profiles.
