I was in the garage and needed to tell my teenager that his laundry needed to be transferred from the washer to the dryer. He was upstairs at the time. I decided the best way to communicate was a text message. Was it the most efficient – no. I could walk through one door and yell up the stairs. However, it was very effective. He pays attention to texts and they act as a stimulant for action.
I remember some years ago my job included getting in touch with IT people. I could phone and leave voicemails and expect a return call in a day or two. Or, I could send an email (pre-tons-of-spam-days), and expect an answer about 3 minutes after I hit the “send” button. At that time IT people had started hating the phone (a typical telemarketer tool) and had discovered email. It took me way longer to type up the email then it would have to have a short conversation, however, the results of the email were way more effective.
The key to driving and converting traffic is not efficiency – it’s effectiveness. I’m not saying to do everything without regard for a streamlined, volume oriented approach. I am saying make sure your eye is on results and not activity. Additionally, you’ll continually have to update your communication approach in order to separate yourself from the “noise of the day” – a category to which as a parent I’m often classified.
