To Communicate Effectively, Talk, Don't Text

Source: The Marc Rosenberg Blog

The following includes excerpts, reproduced with permission, from a blog post by Marc Rosenberg.

Internet and email are great – they're the tools that make this dialogue possible! But at what point do they start threatening our civilization's ability to interact successfully in “real life?” And what are the possible repercussions to your practice if face-to-face networking becomes a thing of the past?

People just don't seem to “get it” when it comes to email and texting. These were never intended to replace face-to-face dialog on sensitive or critically important matters. Never say something in an email that you wouldn't say to a person face to face.

When you want to thank an important person for something vital, pick up the darn phone and talk to the person; don't be content with sending an email.

A whole generation of people is growing up texting instead of talking. And it's rubbing off on their parents. To many, it seems like the scariest thing in the world is to actually talk to someone live or face to face.

Last year, I was advising a firm in its negotiations to purchase a smaller firm. The MP of the larger firm called me, frustrated. He had been exchanging emails with the smaller firm for about a week or so and was disappointed by the lack of progress of the negotiations. I suggested that the MP stop the emails and meet face to face with the seller. He did this the next day and got the deal done in a nice, cordial two-hour meeting. You just can't beat face to face!

For the complete blog post, read “Nothing beats face to face.”

From The Marc Rosenberg Blog, November 7, 2011, http://blog.rosenbergassoc.com.