I’ve got an issue that’s been on my mind for awhile. With the explosion of social media it appears that we have forgotten that voice to voice or in-person communication is the most personal way to connect with our family, friends, donors, and volunteers.
I was recently visiting a friend and as she was sitting in the living room talking with me she sent her son a text IN THE NEXT ROOM. For me, that’s taking this whole social media thing a bit too far.
I happen to love social media. I use Twitter and Facebook regularly. I post videos on YouTube. I send out monthly eNewseltters and I often read and comment on postings on the web. This isn’t a slam on social media. I believe it has value, it’s fun and I’ve gotten to know some amazing people from around the world thanks to social media.
This is my plea for some sanity around using more personal methods of communication with the most cherished people in our lives. And if you are in the social profit sector that means your financial supporters and volunteers.
A few months ago, after I had sent out my monthly eNewsletter I received an email reply from Gary asking me a question. I did what I like to do: I picked up the phone and called Gary, whom I’d met once, to thank him for reading my newsletter and proceeded to answer the question. The response I got was: “Oh, you’re calling me! I didn’t want to bother you. I just wanted a quick answer on email.”
I explained that the phone call was much faster and it wasn’t a bother. I made an effort to explain that it felt more personal to me to actually make the call. I attempted to make sure Gary knew that his question was important to me. I’m still not sure he’d recovered by the end of the call.
I’m concerned the trend is to rely on email and eNewsletters to lure ourselves into thinking we are staying in touch with people in a compelling and personal way.
I receive more than 100 emails most days. Some of which are very impersonal and most days the total unread messages can be overwhelming.
While I don’t advocate phoning every donor monthly, an annual, meaningful phone call from the very right person, has huge value. The side benefit is the person knows for just a minute or two that they are special to your organization. And a face-to-face interaction – well that packs an ever more powerful punch for building a deeper relationship.
I believe there is still room for personal communication in our work and in our lives. Live or voice mail. It’s still good. Warm, authentic messages to say hello, thank you or ask for some quick advice from a long-time donor.
My request: If I phone you, please, please don’t send me an email reply. Just pick up the phone and let’s talk, voice to voice, for a minute or five to get our “thing” handled or scheduled and then move on with our day.
Whew. I feel better!
This post was included in Withism’s from Lori: Boldness, Clarity & Wisdom for Fundraising Professionals Making a Difference (Volume 1), now available in paperback, on Kindle, and Nook.
Lori, I think you’re right that too many times we take the easy way out. We email and miss a huge opportunity to connect with someone. Not that you can’t connect with people via email, but the way most of us do it, it’s incredibly impersonal. A real conversation on the phone or better yet, in person, helps build relationships like nothing else.
Sandy Rees
Sandy, Thanks for the comment and for reading!
I enjoy your posts, Tweets and how you support your fundraising community!