Unconventional communication techniques to succeed!

Emails aren't for everyone.

In multiple surveys conducted by multiple companies and websites, it has been found that while email is still the most popular way of communicating, not everyone enjoys or prefers it.

Look at your prospect and then at you, then back to them and then back to you, ask yourself, how do they or I prefer to communicate? Are there any other ways of communicating with them besides email and phone calls?

Your life will change once you find the answer.

I will cover the following topics and answer the following questions in today's blog:

1. What is the problem with email or phone calls?
2. Unconventional communication methods
3. Unconventional communication methods have many benefits
4. What are the downsides of using Slack groups with prospects or customers
5. Is it time to ditch email and phone calls as communication tools?

What's wrong with emails?

Emails are both loved and hated by people. They facilitate communication, but they also have a number of downsides.

• In some cases, they are overly long, or they have attachments or links with long texts, which can take a long time to digest, so the person can say "I'll read it later" == "I will never read it all".
• There are some people who aren't very good at explaining over email.
• Ping-pong effect, someone sends you an email, you reply, they reply back and it never ends.
• In cases where you have multiple recipients, some people just ignore them as "someone else will read it".

The phone might seem a much better way to communicate, but it has some disadvantages as well. Usually they are 1:1 e.g. you call someone and talk to that person,

• Many people feel that they should answer the phone as soon as possible when they receive a call, interruptions.
• What do you do when you call the person, they are busy, they will call you back, but now you are too busy to answer, so you call them back, but now they are busy? Text them...

Communication methods that are unconventional

While the majority of people still use emails and phone calls, you can find other ways of communications to accomplish more.

Unconventional communication methods include:

1. MS Teams/Slack/Discord - shared space with your prospect's team
2. Groups on Whatsapp/Telegram - mobile apps
3. Asynchronous communication via short videos shared privately or in groups
4. Communicate asynchronously via audio messages, either privately or in groups

What are the benefits of unconventional ways of communications?

You will achieve more. Guaranteed!

• Response times are much faster
• Better engagement
• More people are involved and in sync
• People feel more comfortable asking questions or communicating with you in the way that feels most comfortable to them
• New employees can be onboarded more easily since historical data exists
• Communication in a synchronous manner

What are the downsides of using Slack/WhatsApp-like services?

While having a Slack group sounds great, there are some challenges and downsides that come with it.

There are times when this isn't very scalable when a prospect becomes a customer, as the customer will expect different ways of communicating compared to what they did during POV, for example, a ticketing system. It might work if the Same sales and SE teams continue to support the customer.

You add friction to the process by adding the prospect to your workspace (he needs to accept the invitation).

Adding yourself to his workspace (why would a prospect do that? too much friction)

Using Whatsapp/Telegram might have some advantages, such as adding people more easily, having the app already, and getting push notifications when new messages arrive. However, there might also be some downsides since some people prefer to separate their work and personal lives, e.g., having the vendor on their Whatsapp group while having many other groups related to their personal lives.

Do you need to stop sending emails?

I do not believe so. You should still use emails and phone calls, but consider adding an additional layer for faster and less formal communication methods.

Use emails in a smart way, e.g. send a status email once a week during the POV, you finished POV? Provide your prospect with an email summary, including an attachment, with the right email headline so they can find it later. Broadcast something to everyone who does not prefer unconventional communication methods.

As for phone calls, even though most people don't like getting phone calls, they're still necessary sometimes. Use them wisely and sometimes text someone before calling, get their permission to call, and give them a heads up prior to calling.

As a summary

Using unconventional and different methods of communication is a great idea! Don't be afraid to ask the prospect/customer if they have any other method of communication they prefer and appreciate. Do your best to make it happen and make sure they can see your messages and talk to you there.

But, don't forget emails and phone calls. Not everyone likes other ways except emails. Use them wisely, write short emails and if you have long ones, include TL;DR sections.

Also, don't forget to have meetings, face-to-face or virtually, they're great ways to communicate and mandatory as communication tools (:

Till next time,

Menachem.