Simon Sinek is a British-American author of 5 books and an incredible motivational speaker. His first TED talk in 2009, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action,” is the third most-viewed TED talk today. In Sinek’s 2022 viral LinkedIn post, he sums up his view on communication — “Emails get reactions. Phone calls start conversations.” And as an instructor of strategic communications at Columbia University, we can assume he has confidence in when to use email versus a phone call to connect with someone. But what does this mean for marketing today?
Are You Ready to Pick Up the Phone?
Email technology has given us the opportunity to connect with as many people as we want, at any time we want, from (almost) anywhere in the world. Around 306 billion emails are sent per day, and 61% of consumers enjoy being virtually contacted by brands. 60% of consumers say they’ve made a purchase based on an email they’ve received from a business, too.
This makes it easy to share information and have a conversation without everyone having to take the same time out of their day. So, when do we decide to pick up the phone? Consider trying a phone call or two out when you have an extra moment. Keep your cold email campaigns moving to reach the masses, but see if a few calls here and there make the impact Sanek says.
Consider picking up the phone when you have an established connection with a lead, too. After all, these are the people you want a meaningful conversation with — not a quick reaction.
Do you know the recipient well?
Are you fairly certain they have a use for your product?
DO they fit in with your ideal client or customer base?
If you answered yes to these three questions, gather up some confidence and give it a try. Who knows – it might be the perfect addition to your outreach. And if you need a hand with those endless cold emails, consider giving us a call, too. We’d love to help however we can.