Texting vs. Calling Relationships: Which Is Better?
In the United States, 97% of the population has a cell phone of some kind. This means that you cannot reach a very small portion of the population through a mobile device.
We live in an era where remote communication is faster and easier than ever. People have a myriad of ways that they can talk to someone whether they be across the hall or across the planet.
Popular Ways to Communicate Right Now
Two of the most popular ways to communicate right now are through either phone calls or text. Both at home and at work, talk and text are very common forms of communication. The rules around communication are constantly changing, which can lead to confusion regarding what is or is not an appropriate method of communicating with someone.
It can be tough for some people to see each other in person, meaning remote communication is a reality for almost everyone. Every relationship you have in your life requires a different approach to communication, and different considerations have to be made.
Even within your business, it is more than likely that you will have different methods of communicating with different people based on their roles within the company. It is a good idea to make sure you understand the appropriate method of communication with every person you talk to regularly.
Texting vs. Calling: Social Relationships
A phone call is great because it allows you to communicate very directly, without pause. Texting on the other hand allows more constant communication and requires a minimal time commitment, which can help maintain friendships.
When it comes to social relationships, whether they be family or friends, you should be communicating with them in whatever way makes both parties feel comfortable.
While there are pros and cons to texting and calling, there is some data that might help you make a decision about what is right for you.
Research has shown that people feel more connected to one another when they call each other than when they text.
People who can hear one another’s voices seem to build stronger bonds than those who only communicate via text. However, it has also been found that people are considerably more anxious giving a call when compared with sending a text.
Comfort is a major factor in what form of communication will be more successful, as texting someone you don’t plan on building a strong bond with might be easier on your nerves than making a phone call.
Texting vs. Calling: Communicating with Customers
When it comes to working with customers, phone calls have always been the most commonly used form of communication. The same is true with customers when it comes to building bonds, and giving people a personal call can be a great way to make them feel connected to you and increase interest in your business.
However, the human connection isn’t necessarily the step people need to pay attention to what you have to offer. People are eight times more likely to respond to a text than an email, and 85% of mobile phone users prefer text messages over phone calls.
Getting through to people is immensely important, and while a call can increase retention, people are much more likely to pay attention to you at all if you send them a text message.
Texts are easy, low-risk ways for people to communicate with someone they might want to do business with. If a priority for you is responsiveness and building many connections, consider giving customers the option to text your business.
Texting vs. Calling: Business Relationships
Relationships within your business can be complicated, and you are likely to communicate very differently with your coworkers, depending on their role within the company. However, as time has gone on, other forms of communication have become more appropriate.
Business relationships work a lot differently from the relationships you have in your personal life. For a long time, email was the primary form of communication in most offices. Some people are better to call to set up a meeting, while sometimes having a team group chat is the best way to communicate long term.
Use Dialed to Organize and Communicate
One way to simplify this process is by using a third-party app to organize your team to make communication easier.
Dialed is an app and service that allows you to create a work number and organize your contacts. It allows you to label your team members based on what they do, helping to create groups of people that you can contact in different ways.
This way, you can easily categorize who you should call versus who you should text. One important feature is broadcast messaging, which allows you to send messages out to a large group within your team.
These could be to coworkers, or they could even be to potential customers to give them company updates or marketing documents.
Knowing how to contact people within your business requires flexibility, so it helps to have adaptive apps for your needs.
Conclusion
Communication is complicated and relies a lot on context, meaning that whether you should call or text doesn’t always have a clear-cut answer. Make sure you know your audience before you commit to any constant communication method, and be respectful of their needs and preferences.
If you are talking to someone you are close to, consider giving them a call so that you can hear their voice and connect with them. However, if you are trying to build a customer base, do not neglect the power of texting and the increased response rate it can bring.
When working with a business, use Dialed to keep yourself flexible to the needs of the people on your team. Dialed allows you to send mass messages when needed or simply organize the team members who would prefer a call on the other side of the spectrum.
In a world where people are having more trouble than ever coming together, knowing how you can connect virtually in the most efficient and meaningful way is vital. Visit Dialed now for more information and to download the app.
Sources:
Demographics of Mobile Device Ownership and Adoption in the United States | Pew Research Center
Phone calls create stronger bonds than text-based communications | ScienceDaily
