Give your fingers a rest. Pick up the phone, already!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say, “Well, I sent an e-mail” only to be baffled by waiting hours, days or weeks for a response – if they get one at all. Want an answer now? Then pick up the phone!

I have nothing against e-mail, texting or tweeting. They all have a place in our fast-moving world. I for one have responded to e-mails while my kids bounce off the walls or in the middle of the night when a phone call would be less than perfect.

But there’s no substitute for a good old-fashioned phone call if you want to catch the subtleties, tone or just make things happen.

Why should you call, instead of e-mail?

Do I know you? -- If your client/customer/vendor/boss recognizes your e-mail signature but not your voice, then you may have a problem. A phone call can go a long way towards establishing trust, rapport and just a basic human connection.

Send it into the ether and it may (or may not) stick – Chalk it up to spam filters, junk mail filters and/or spotty technology, but not all e-mails find their way. Even if they do, not everyone is on e-mail 24/7 with fingers ready to hammer a response - despite the more than 10 million people who currently have iPhones or Blackberries strapped to their hip (with only personal e-mail forwarded).

E-mail overload – At one point this week my inbox had 2700 e-mails. The sheer volume of e-mail has turned this medium into one with which I have a love/hate relationship. And I’m not alone. It’s estimated that businesses lose $650 billion annually in productivity due to unnecessary e-mail interruptions. The average number of corporate e-mails sent and received per person per day is expected to reach over 228 by 2010. Convenience is great, but not when you’re buried by it.

Room for translation – How many times has a colleague or client misinterpreted the tone or content of an e-mail only to spend hours fuming or going back and forth ten times to clarify its meaning?

Instant gratification – To my previous point, make a one-minute call and save yourself 10 e-mails!

So the next time you’re tempted to tap out a “quick” e-mail, try smiling and dialing. It just may get you an answer, a new opportunity, a story, or even a new client.