Comments on: Has the Ping replaced the Ring?

By: Why, How and Who Do You Follow?

Why, How and Who Do You Follow? — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:25:02 +0000

[...] With @, DM and RT alerts via tweetdeck or email alerts viatweetbeep you get a ping when you are [...]

By: Renee Lemley

Renee Lemley — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 03:49:34 +0000

Wanted to add a follow up link for the archive…

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/fashion/02voicemail.html

Apparently, voicemail is “out of style.”

Who knew?

By: Jed Davis

Jed Davis — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:56:54 +0000

For short data intensive interaction, you can’t beat the “ping”, but I’m finding more and more candidates (I’m in the technology recruiting arena) are losing valuable interpersonal skills and even (surprise) KEY written skills with their reliance on text, e-mail and textspeak.

The bottom line from here is that I’m more than willing to share data and create a tracking stream via electronic communication, but the world still runs on good old-fashioned relationship building and until a significant paradigm shifts, that is still best done face-to-face or voice-to-voice.

By: August Cohen

August Cohen — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 03:27:49 +0000

I am a firm believer/supporter of the good old-fashioned phone call. While I embrace social media, and use it successfully, nothing is a one-size fits all approach. I still pick up the phone when prospects or clients call (if available), much to their satisfaction and often utter amazement. That is my value-added distinction from many of my competitors, and it works very well for me.

I find the phone can be a real time-saver, in spite of its reputation as a time-waster. As others have mentioned, it eliminates the back and forth of misunderstood emails that seem to keep needing clarification, and cause project delays or misguided advice. Some of the so-called “modern” proponents of an all tech/all virtual world as a way of saving time and creating efficiencies, are stuck in the past with their strictly black and white thinking. Complex and critical thinkers, who embrace the black, white, and gray of things, are always in vogue.

By: TK

TK — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 01:55:25 +0000

Phone calls eliminate confusion; emails (especially when there are multiple recipients) create it.

Phone calls build relationships by allowing for intonation, inference and personlaity; emails mow them down by necessitating sterile language to elimate the possibility of offense.

Just this week I went so far as to set up MEETINGS (okay, over EMAIL) with two colleagues I’ve known for years rather than sort a few issues out over email simply because it was time to be back in touch and reconnect.

By: Jacques

Jacques — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 13:04:01 +0000

Didn’t read the whole article, but if someone tells me I’m ‘old fashioned’ using the phone and he wants my business, then he is out of business. Email is great for introductions and putting things in writing, but a 5 minute call clears up things that otherwise take ages in writing. Many people can’t write or spell properly (perhaps your 25 yr old hot shot?), wording can be confusing and misleading – or just plain hit the wrong chord – ticking off the reader while there is no mal intent at all.
Talking to the other person solves all that – plus, hearing some voice can be ‘interesting’ as well – we’re still no robots.
So, a combination works best for me: Skype (both IM and calling for free), email, text – it would be highly ineffecient to not use all of them.

By: Renee Lemley

Renee Lemley — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 23:27:13 +0000

Thank you Meryl and Dave for taking the time to comment.

I hear what you’re saying, Dave, about details and technical data being ideal for email and IM so there is a written record. When appropriate, I still follow up calls with written documentation when written documentation is just good business (especially with project parameters, estimates, tech specs, printing specs, next steps, etc.). Email also offers an opportunity to include more people in the outcome of your individual, 1-on-1 phone calls, bringing everyone into the conversation and onto the same page, which is why I consider email a valuable part of my social media toolbox.

By: Dave Provine

Dave Provine — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 20:01:02 +0000

For me, it depends on the situation. I’m delighted to have new clients call! I certainly like to talk to my clients; there’s a personal connection that can’t be done over tweets and IM.

What I prefer not to do is talk about anything that requires me to write something down. That’s really inefficient; when someone needs to provide details or technical data, they should really email or IM it. That way it can be copied and pasted, tracked, saved, and it’s less likely that there will be a transcription error.

By: meryl steinberg

meryl steinberg — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 01:30:57 +0000

Well written. Informative. Thought provoking look at a daily issue.

By: Renee Lemley

Renee Lemley — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:30:07 +0000

Hey Richbo,
Thx for your feedback. Yeah, it may be old school, but I still like moving the texts, IMs and Tweets to a phone call when I can. At the end of the day, it’s the phone call I’ll feel good about, not the email. But I also want to adapt to others’ workflow so that *my calls* aren’t intrusive.
Nice to hear from you on this.
Regards,
-Renee

By: Richbo

Richbo — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:43:54 +0000

I’m 100% on board with your message. I too, don’t like the phone, but it’s much better than the impersonal texts, IM’s, Tweets, etc (all of which I use) to build a relationship. I must be very old school – I prefer the interaction of a face to face meeting over everything else. And I’m only 42. Not the typical grayhair you would think.