In the past, I have contemplated the use of these three modes of communication for when I desire to give someone important information. I have as a result, come to some brilliant conclusions, which it has finally dawned on me to share with you.
Meeting in person
This is my most preferred method of communication. Whether it is by meeting with a large group of people and having a discussion, or just meeting one on one to have a dialog, by meeting in person, it is easiest to convey just what it is that you mean by what you say, because not only does your audience have your words to go by, they are also able to read your pitch, volume, facial expressions, and overall body language. To be most effective, it is important to prepare what ideas you would like to convey ahead of time, whether by thinking about it in advance, or better yet, write down the ideas you want to convey most, as well as a sentence or two about why you want to convey the idea.
There is a blurse in this method of communication in that it is highly personal. In the event that you have good news for someone, or wish to convey something of a positive nature, you then get to be there to see the positive effect that it has on that person. When, on the other hand, the news you have to convey is bad, or has a negative nature about it, you must be there to see the negative effect that such news has on them. One exception is that occasionally in the case of negative topics, giving them such news and having it come from a friend is a relief, and they are glad that you took the time to tell them and to be there for them as the deal with whatever the issue is.
Talking on the phone
I am not sure if this method of communication is second or third on my list of preferences. If you put a gun to my head and told me to make a choice, I would have to say that it tied for second place. Talking on the phone is beneficial in that it gives the person you are communicating with something else to go by besides just the words you are using. It is less personal than meeting in person, but it has a much more personal nature to it than does writing a letter or an email. There are a couple of exceptions to this, but I will go into this in the next method.
Some of the downsides of talking on the phone is that if you are talking to someone who as an E.Q. of a computer, they will only go by what you have said, paying no attention to pitch, volume or tone of voice. Another problem is that when on the phone during a more serious conversation, like working out problems each person is having with the other, one person tends to dominate the conversation, and when the other party has something they wish to convey, they practically have to yell in order to get the talkative person to listen. The talkative person then feels as if the other isn’t really listening, or in turn feels disrespected, and tries to talk over that person. The result is rather bad, and in a best case scenario, ends with someone hanging up on someone else, or they both start yelling at each other and the situation grows worse. Occasionally, the manage to work things out and things go well. Another downside is that if you talk on the phone a lot, your phone bill will reflect it.
Writing a letter/email
The other method of communication that ties for second place is that of written communication. I think that this one is slightly ahead of the phone in my preferred methods, the reason for this will become clear in a second, but the lead is so slight as to make no difference. It is merely less bad.
The main advantage to written communication is that when it is of a personal nature, you force the person to read all of what you have written before they respond. Or in the case of less personal things, as long as what you have to say is interesting, you can be assured that the reader will finish reading what it is that you wrote, and will continue to come back and read your writing. You effectively have a captive audience until you have finished conveying your ideas. Make sure that you keep this in mind: Such power can be used against you.
While it is usually the most impersonal method of communication, there are ways of overcoming the limits of written word. Typically, the reader can only interpret what the writer is trying to convey by the words that they use. In the case of a good writer, they can easily overcome this obstacle by using words that help to describe what they are feeling. Also at hand are the use of smileys. It is true that this is usually the most impersonal method of communicating, however, in the case of myself, I best express myself through written word. As a result of this, I can usually very easily interpret the meaning behind what someone has written, whether they are merely kidding, or if they are being serious. Not always do they use words that help give me an idea of what the meaning is. This stems from reading quite a bit as a child. Another important note is that women love to receive love notes and poetry, especially if it is unexpected.
