Business leaders still prefer the old-fashioned phone call. Email, text messages, and video chats are great ways to stay in touch with clients and colleagues. But when it comes time to have more meaningful conversations or make important decisions, there’s still nothing quite like picking up the phone.
RingCentral’s research shows that most employers and employees prefer using the phone for internal and external business communication. In this blog post, let’s examine why professionals still prefer phone calls over other forms of communication.
What Does the Data Show?
The survey results are fairly clear; individuals and businesses prefer phone conversations when speaking with clients, vendors, and customers. For internal communications, 73.8% of respondents said they preferred phone calls to other methods like email or video chats, while 58.6% said they preferred phone calls over in-person meetings.
Similarly, when it comes to external conversations, 82% of respondents said they would rather speak with their clients via telephone than any other method; this number goes up to 60.8% when it comes to actual meetings. Phone calls also dominated external conversations with vendors (69.6%) and outbound customer service (63.4%), although the numbers were somewhat lower for inbound customer service, with only 52.1%.
Why Professionals Still Prefer Phone Calls
So why do many professionals still opt for the telephone over other communication methods? For starters, there is something about having a direct conversation that conveys trustworthiness and professionalism—especially in business settings—that can’t be replicated through written or video correspondence alone. Additionally, having an open line of dialogue allows each party involved to get their points across quickly and effectively without waiting for a response from another person—which is especially important in time-sensitive situations where decisions need to be made quickly.
Finally, it allows people to establish better relationships since they can hear each other’s voices rather than just reading words off a screen or seeing them on a video call without any sound present. These benefits have allowed phone calls to remain one of the most popular methods of communication even in today’s digital age, despite all of its advances and conveniences.
Time Savings
Phone calls save time by allowing for quick back-and-forth conversations instead of long threads of emails. It’s easier to get an answer immediately instead of waiting hours or days for a response. This can be especially helpful when dealing with urgent matters that require immediate attention. Also, misunderstandings can be easily resolved through conversation rather than through multiple emails back and forth.
Professionalism
Phone calls give off professionalism that cannot be replicated through email or video chat. It shows you take their concerns seriously and value their time enough to call them directly. This could help build rapport with your contact, which may lead to better relationships and, in turn, more business opportunities.
Convenience
Phone calls allow for easier recordkeeping as all conversations are stored on your phone and can be referred to if needed. Plus, you don’t need any additional equipment as you would with video conferences, making it much simpler and more convenient to have quick phone conversations whenever necessary.
Flexibility & Mobility
With phone calls, you can be anywhere and still have a conversation with someone else. All you need is a phone line. This eliminates geographical boundaries and makes it easier to stay connected while on the go. You also can have multiple people on a call at once, which means discussions can become collaborative rather quickly. This is much harder to achieve with emails, where each person has to reply before any collaboration can occur.
Conclusion
Overall, phone calls have many benefits when communicating externally or meeting one-on-one with contacts. It saves time, conveys professionalism, and is far more convenient than an email or video chat. This allows for faster resolutions and better recordkeeping than ever before. Business owners should consider incorporating phone calls into their communication strategies. Using phones provide numerous advantages over traditional methods of communication that can help boost overall relations between clients and partners alike.
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