I like to do business via the Internet and am sometimes amazed at how many people's first reaction is: "Phone me".

I recently signed up for an affiliate prog (we're already members of several and everything's been done online, although some require a faxed agreement with signature) and as soon as I signed up, I got the response, "Email your phone number so we can talk you through it". I asked them to email me the details which they did, so no probs there.

But "Phone me" is such a typical response. I don't like phoning people. I don't like phones full stop. (I guess that's my problem.)

Another related thing, we are affiliated with an insurance company and I noticed that all our sales were as a result of telephone queries. I asked about it and they said that they don't do online quotes any more as conversions are so much better via the telephone. That's fine by me as they send us our commission cheque every month - including those for sales made via the telephone. Now that's unusual. Most merchants will only pay you for sales made online and track via cookies. So you send them customers and get paid nothing if they buy by

I don't like phoning people and I much prefer using the Internet. However I'm only 16 so I guess I don't have the balls to do cold-calling yet.

prefer phoning people, its called forming a relationship and you cant do that with words alone .... people can gain an impression from what you write ( ie that I am mad!) but you need to speak to someone to really understand them. I would start with the written word but will always continue with the spoken!

don't like phoning people and I much prefer using the Internet. However I'm only 16 so I guess I don't have the balls to do cold-calling yet.

I prefer phoning people, its called forming a relationship and you cant do that with words alone .... people can gain an impression from what you write ( ie that I am mad!) but you need to speak to someone to really understand them. I would start with the written word but will always continue with the spoken!

I don't like phoning people and I much prefer using the Internet. However I'm only 16 so I guess I don't have the balls to do cold-calling yet.

I prefer phoning people, its called forming a relationship and you cant do that with words alone .... people can gain an impression from what you write ( ie that I am mad!) but you need to speak to someone to really understand them. I would start with the written word but will always continue with the spoken!

I believe there is a necessity for both phone and the spoken word. Having said that, I have found, particularly when dealing with sales people, they will almost never want to correspond via email. Mainly due to the fact prices look worse in black and white, without an experienced, silver tongued salesman informing you otherwise and skirting over the price! How many times have you read an email or letter, arrived at the price, then not read on?
In some cases a company or individual also may not want what they are stating to be recalled from an email, very hard to take the ‘We did not quote that price’ standpoint when you have it in black and white.
I think the truth is, from a sales and marketing point of view, customers contacted by phone will produce a better sales success rate than ones contacted in writing or by email.