Can You Send Me an Email? Sometimes You Just Have to Deal With People on Their Terms
Some agents resent that other agents prefer to communicate by email. Picking up the phone and calling someome is often referred to as "the lost art." There is absolutely nothing quite like those face to face meetings and an hour long phone conversations (intended only to be a 5 minute phone call out of your busy day).
Some agents get very annoyed that the MLS agent notes often request that other agents "e-mail" them, suggesting that they don't want to be bothered with a phone call. And while that may be true (OR NOT), the one thing that email can do that a phone call can't is "document."
When it comes to discussions about a particular property or a transaction that I'm involved in, I am a fanatic about documentation. I want to be able to recall every conversation we've ever had and have proof that we've had it. Sure call me if you'd like, but don't be surprised when at the end of our phone conversation I say, "can you do me a favor and just shoot me an email?" Or if I call you, I'm likely to follow up with an email just to clarify our conversation.
When dealing with someone who prefers email, it is likely that you will be dealing with someone who is organized, pays attention to detail or likes to keep copious notes and records revolving around a particular property, transaction or simply the conversation in general. Who can fault anyone for that right? Except for those who prefer to place the phone call (or don't have email and some people really don't use email).
We each have our particular preferred communication style and just because picking up the phone is your preferred method, it doesn't mean that everyone else prefers that methods as well.
I once read a book that said "an extrovert may walk into a room and
see an introvert reading a book. The extrovert starts a conversation with the introvert assuming that the only reason the introvert is reading a book is because they didn't have anyone to talk to. Never occurring to the extrovert that the introvert really just wants to read a book.
So what does the "pick up the phone" agent do about the agent who prefers email? WHEN POSSIBLE, Make the initial contact by email and if you must, then follow up with a phone call, but NOT IMMEDIATELY after hitting the "send" button on the email. Don't you just hate it when someone sends you an email and then calls you and asks "did you get my email? Any who, I won't go there. And when I say "must" I don't mean "must do it your way. I mean it's the only means available at the moment and it's not a total inconvenience for you.
All I'm saying is don't read too much into people. Sometimes what you are thinking is so far from the truth that one would assume that the "truth ain't in you" as my grandmother use to say.
Sometimes you just have to deal with people on their terms. Not yours. That makes sense right? See Scott Hayes post as another classic example of dealing with people on their terms.
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