Open Thread: How do you Prefer to be Contacted?
July 16th, 2007 (6:02am) Anne Zelenka 21 Comments
As the volume of email overwhelms some people and new communication channels arise, it becomes ever more possible for people to customize and personalize their communications to their workload and temperament. But communication involves at least two people, so somehow you have to get the word out about your preferences to those who might contact you.
Web workers can announce their contact preferences online, of course. Jeremiah Owyang has cut out instant messaging in favor of the phone and email even as he ponders whether Facebook might supplant email in certain cases. Steve O’Grady is warning people not to email him while he tries to dig out after vacation. And last week Sean Bonner posted an update on his war on email, describing how he has published a preferred means of contact page that directs people to channels other than email.
Lisa Belkin tackles the issue of personalized communications in the New York Times, noting how difficult it can be to figure out how to contact someone:
Now contact means decoding the quirks of the person in question, the better to predict how to actually get your message through. And if you misread your target, it means the risk of a frosty response, or sometimes deafening silence.
Does he or she hate e-mail, letting it build up in the inbox, but quick to answer the cellphone on the first ring? Does the person refuse to carry a cellphone, but grab the office line through the Bluetooth that is literally attached to one ear? Is it solicitous or stalkerish to send an e-mail message, then leave an office message, then try the cellphone just to be sure?
How do you prefer to be contacted? By phone, email, IM, Facebook, Twitter, other? How do you get the word out?
21 Comments Post your own comment
Archaeogeek says: July 16th, 2007 6:25am
To use facebook you have to register, right? Well anyone who expects me to register with a service that I don’t need or want just to contact them is sadly mistaken. That goes for Twitter too.
Overwhelmed with communication? Try another channel- get a twitter account, use IM, facebook, etc. That doesn’t make any logical sense. Streamline and simplify what you do use instead, and use a little self-discipline.
Jeremiah Owyang says: July 16th, 2007 6:33am
Thanks for quoting me.
I look for tools that allow me to be efficient:
1) I want to communicate to as many as people that I can (that want to hear me) by looking for tools that can extend my message. I end up using my blog, (where I give away 95% of my knowledge away for free) and other tools like Twitter, and online video.
2) I reduce 1:1 tools when possible. I feel so much more productive now that I’ve gotten rid of IM
3) I pay myself first. Part of leaving a comment here on Web Worker Daily is part of that. Email is a spiral. Public communication ads up.
This post on “Paying yourself first” would be great for the WWD audience
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2007/07/06/pay-yourself-first-and-one-thing-leads-to-another/
Bryan Person, Monster Blogger says: July 16th, 2007 6:33am
I think you need to give people more than one channel to contact you, which includes at least one channel that isn’t necessarily a walled garden like Facebook — though that is a fine way for someone to contact me, since I am a registered user. A telephone number would qualify here.
But as the person being contacted, I also believing in making my preferences clear. I have voice mail on my mobile phone, but I really hate checking it — and sometimes don’t for days at a time. So on my outgoing message, I let folks know that while they can leave me a voice message, they’re likelier to get a faster reply if they send me an e-mail or text message.
LG says: July 16th, 2007 6:57am
Structured Thoughts/Things that need detailed comment: Email
Unstructured thoughts/Things that need a quick response: Skype IM
Long conversations, mixed work and chat, everything else: Skype voice, or ping me on Skype and call via whatever means
sarabocaneanu says: July 16th, 2007 7:08am
It’s certainly very annoying when you discover that some people just don’t “do” certain modes of communication, like email. If you know you are not going to use or respond to a particular type of communication… just don’t give out that contact detail on your business card, and let people know that they need to call you rather than email you.
As to my preferred mode of communication…it very much depends on the content:
- wiki for project updates
- Google Docs for collaborating on a document
- phone for setting up a meeting time, followed by an email (more sophisticated solutions don’t seem to work with my Mac)
- del.icio.us for recommending articles to read
I would be so happy if all of these items disapeared from my email inbox!
William Profet :: OneJobTwoSalaries.com says: July 16th, 2007 7:20am
In my professional life I prefer e-mail than personal meetings and phone calls. I don’t want to waste real time. I can respond the mail whenever I am able to.
In my personal life, I prefer personal contact. Definitely. :))
Tiffany says: July 16th, 2007 7:20am
I’m a big fan of e-mail and IM. I hate the phone. E-mail gives me the chance to ask/answer when I can. And with IM, I can always ignore the message or tell the person immediately that now is not a good time.
Mediavorous » Blog Archive » Contact pet peeves, email bankruptcy, unplugging & more says: July 16th, 2007 7:50am
[...] just-opened thread, “How do you Prefer to be Contacted?,” over at Web Worker Daily strikes home and makes me wonder if I have a sense of how I like [...]
Ahmad Tarek says: July 16th, 2007 8:28am
For me, I think I will prefer the email in the first place as I can control when I have to reply then the cell phone.
Actually the best is by direct contact - but when I’m not so busy ;)
Carl Hudson says: July 16th, 2007 8:48am
Definitely Email appeals as the first port of call, whereby you can be altered, if you wish, upon its arrival and then look at it in reference to how important you immediately deem it to be, then.. you can take any action at your own chosen time, whether it’s then or later.
IM is always good for emergencies or family or things that require action or knowledge immediately. Other than than IM should not be used for general chit chat, only for what YOU deem important.
Mobile/phone is last, very obtrusive and should be used on your own terms,of course this depends on your business and how important this form of communication is to your consumers / clients / leads etc.
datter says: July 16th, 2007 8:50am
I prefer to be nudged gently in the morning.
Logical Extremes says: July 16th, 2007 2:17pm
Call me if you want to talk now, otherwise send an email. Those are about the only two technologies that are universally compatible and accessible to everyone. IM is fine if we both happen to be on the same protocol, but don’t expect me to sign up for each new bubble app that comes out, I don’t want to spend my precious time managing a dozen different profiles and apps.
Sean Bonner says: July 16th, 2007 3:29pm
Thanks for helping to further this discussion! Earlier this year I wrote a piece on my own blog about all these people declaring e-mail bankruptcy and how simply saying you get too much e-mail, taking a break, and then jumping right back in the same pool doesn’t fix anything. This isn’t a discussion about what is the most universally accepted option, it’s about what is the most effective and useful. There was a time when horses were the most universally accepted option for traveling, that didn’t prevent people finding something better. Just because everyone has e-mail doesn’t mean it’s the best option for all time. And I fully agree about not giving out contacts you don’t want used. I don’t have email on my new business cards and don’t promote it - though a side effect of being active on the web for the last 15 years means it’s not hard to figure out any number of e-mail addresses that probably work for me.
I also understand this isn’t a problem for everyone. I know people who get 5 e-mails a day so they aren’t overwhelmed at all, so this isn’t really about them. I was getting over 1000 a day when I started this which is a very different situation. The truth is what is the best solution for one person isn’t for another and no one should assume everyone else will have the same preferred means of contact. This applies both ways of course.
Jeb says: July 16th, 2007 4:16pm
Email is my business preference then we can talk on the phone. Personally I like phone, email, and SMS.
links for 2007-07-16 says: July 16th, 2007 4:21pm
[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Open Thread: How do you Prefer to be Contacted? « I comment on this post about giving people multiple ways to contact you, while also stating your preferred mode(s). (tags: commented) [...]
Ryan Stewart says: July 16th, 2007 4:45pm
How do you prefer to be contacted Anne? That’s one of the big reasons I clicked through, I was hoping for some insight when I need to pitch you ;)
=Ryan
Anne Zelenka says: July 16th, 2007 4:55pm
Ryan: I prefer IM to email from people who know me, but I don’t mind email, contrary to what some of my blog posts here might indicate (just playing with ideas!). I dislike phone calls intensely because I process information better reading than listening.
And you? You should share your own preferences as well :)
Sean: you’re right, email is horrible for having discussions. I’m glad the pendulum is swinging back to synchronous methods for stuff like that!
JT says: July 16th, 2007 5:42pm
I prefer the phone then email.
Daily Links for 07/16/07 says: July 16th, 2007 5:45pm
[...] Web Worker Daily: How do you Prefer to be Contacted? « (tags: email productivity web2.0) [...]
Ryan Stewart says: July 16th, 2007 7:36pm
Fair enough. As an evangelist I figure any kind of communication is okay depending on how important the information is. For low level info, Twitter is great. For high priority info, a phone call on my cell is just fine.
Jon says: July 17th, 2007 12:39pm
Hmmm… email or IM first and then vid chat - it’s great to see someone on the screen. I think this is going to, has started to, really change the way people work. Yes, people in the web industry have been doing this for a while now, well, years! But people in big corporates, certainly don’t.