How to communicate effectively with phone calls, email, and chat apps

As we continue to work remotely, video conferencing seems to be a lot of companies’ tool of choice. BUT it’s not the only communication tool you can use to connect with your team, and it definitely shouldn’t be the only one. 

Like in the office, there are many times where an email is all that’s necessary to get your point across. Or if there aren’t any important visuals you need to share for your discussion, a phone call is perfectly fine. And if you just want to chat with your team about their weekend or need a fast response about if someone completed a project, chat apps can get you the quick answers you need. 

Let’s take a look at each of these to see how they can be used to communicate with and manage a team and further enhance your virtual presence.

OVER THE PHONE

Phone calls can be tricky. Some people feel offended without a little small talk. Some people prefer to get right to the point. If you are initiating the call, you’ll be able to tell quickly. If you float a “small talk” comment out and they don’t jump on it, transition to the reason for the call.

Understanding work and communication styles can go a long way in understanding preferences of others. If your company uses behavioral assessments, ask for results on specific people. If you aren’t using one, you should. Contact me for a communication placard for yourself. 

Because we can’t see others over the phone it’s hard to pick up on body language. You can’t tell if someone has lost interest because you’ve droned on too long. Or, they just got lost in conversation because you were talking too fast.  Again, this is where those behavior assessments become so valuable so you can know how much small talk or detail they need.

A good rule of thumb is to give a big picture overview and toss the call over to another person by saying something like, “So I just gave you the high-level overview, what questions do you have for me?”  

If you know you’ve got a talker on the line, set the expectation early and say, “Hey, I’ve just got a few minutes but I wanted to know….”

It’s very easy to interrupt on phone calls because what can seem like the end of a thought was really just a pause for breath. Give yourself the five second rule. When someone is finished speaking, wait five seconds before jumping in to make sure they are in fact finished.

Remember this: people don’t really remember what you said, they remember how they felt. Since they can’t see your face, all they have to go on is your voice. The specific words you choose, your speaking pace, volume, tone, inflection, and pauses all communicate their own messages.

Make sure to use inclusive language – “we,” “us”, “together” – as much as possible. It will help them feel like a part of a team. Instead of just reacting to what someone says, acknowledge them first by saying “That’s an interesting point you just made and…” or “Building on your idea about … ” It shows them you’re listening and you value what they’re saying.

Just because people can’t see you now, doesn’t mean they won’t know when you’re not paying attention. You may think you can fool people when you check your messages or glance at something on the TV during a teleconference, but people can hear the “disconnect” in your voice and it reduces your presence. 

THROUGH EMAIL

Email is probably the tool that you’re most comfortable using. But with remote work, you’re using email more often. If you aren’t regularly meeting via video or conference call, send them frequent status updates, and check in every few days so they know you haven’t forgotten about them.

Keep your emails brief when possible. Know when it’s better to get on a video call than send lots of detailed emails. People are more likely to read short, concise emails than long, rambling ones, so use bullet points when possible. You don’t want your emails skimmed, thereby having people missing important details.  White space is your friend.

Let me repeat, white space is your friend. 

Include a call to action if you expect something in return along with a deadline. 

Get comfortable using the Follow Up flags for tasks. 

Create folders and rules to keep your box organized. 

Signatures are a great way to save emails that you send frequently. I have close to 20 of them.  They are a real time saver.

Learn how to use the ReCall Feature *before* you need it.  

Did you know there is a dictation feature in Outlook?  It is awesome. 

Including your contact card is always a nice touch when emailing someone new.

I shouldn’t have to tell you this, but please make sure your Spell Check is enabled. Download the free version of Grammarly.  

If an email goes back and forth without resolution, it may be time to pick up the phone.

You have heard this before but it is worth repeating: don’t send emails when you are angry.  

TEXT MESSAGES

Texting is great for sending short bits of information. It’s not a space to dictate long paragraphs, that’s for email. You can also send a video message over text which can be very personal and great to have that face to face interaction.

If you’re speaking into the phone to create your text messages, proofread the message before you hit send to prevent any embarrassing messages. Once you hit send, it’s gone! We’ve all had AutoCorrect fail us unexpectedly with awkward results.

Text messages are great for short conversations but do know when to pick up the phone.

If you want to know instantly who is texting you, assign specific ringtones. Your boss might be a good one to tag.

THROUGH CHAT APPS

Chat apps are basically like a work version of IM or texting. They allow for both work-related and casual conversation in real time. You can have dedicated spaces for people to have focused discussions on a specific topic, like a big project you’re all working on, and designated space for talking about who’s going to win the football game this weekend.

 One of the biggest things to remember is if you can’t be found, people will go about their business without you. So log in and stay logged in. Be there for others. 

You ideally want to respond as quickly as possible to a post directed at you or a question that you can answer.  Obviously, it is impossible to do this all the time, but if you do it often enough, people on your team will think of you as attentive and responsive and will reach out when they need a quick response. They will become confident that you’ll be there for them.

If you aren’t using one, Teams, Slack, and What’s App are popular. 

All these methods give a lot of variety when communicating. Each of these tools has advantages and disadvantages so play around with them. Pay attention to how your co-workers are using them.  

You’ll quickly pick up on what colleagues prefer what communication channel. More importantly,  find ways to integrate your personality, unique style, and humor so that you can make the most out of this situation. We may be here for a while anyway.