Text? Email? Phone?

While I am an endorser of a handwritten note of approval, I’m acutely aware that people communicate in a variety of ways. People communicate primarily through text message, email, or phone calls. The challenge for a business person is to discover how clients and potential clients prefer to communicate; and most people do seem to have a preferred mode of communication.

                                                         

Two ways exist to find out a client’s preferred mode of communication. The quickest way is to simply ask. The other way is to try each mode and see which one the client responds to most quickly. Even after you zero in on what appears to be the preferred method of connecting, you may have to communicate with the client a few times to get a feel for which form of contact to which he responds.

Finally, understand that the nature of the contact determines how you most effectively communicate. Some situations require that you go beyond a text or email contact and make a verbal connection. It may even require a face to face appointment.

Also, consider what the client or potential client is communicating by not responding to your efforts to connect. In those instances, remember that most people will not work with you, but some will work with no one but you. So, keep communicating and connecting to find the people in that latter group.