Phone conversations sometimes last longer than initially planned. Simple math shows that only 10 calls a day, lasting 5-6 minutes more than really needed, lessen our productivity by an hour.
This is true especially in a busy office where contacting people over the phone is an essential part of the business. Talking to your partners, clients and colleagues might be a great way to service them but sometimes we are much more wordy than really necessary. And this goes both ways. So people who use phones extensively need to consider how much time they dedicate to this type of communication and how this can be optimized.
One way to handle this time-eating situation is to use e-mails when and where possible. Electronic communication can be couple of sentences long, straight to the point and still achieve its purpose. The exchange of e-mails might also lower stress levels and help you concentrate on other tasks. In case you really need to initiate a call and would like it to be a short one, you have the option to ask for an e-mail discussion after the call, detailing the matter.
Many software providers have found a niche in helping people communicate more efficiently and as a result have developed instant messaging services. Using messaging is a great way to have several contacts on the line and deal with them all at once. Unfortunately the drawback here is that your contacts should also use the same service.
Do you think you can shorten your phone calls without damaging your work style? Other tips?