When It’s The Best Time To Call Someone?
Talking with someone at the right time can make a world of difference on the outcome of a discussion. We know that talking to our boss for a raise at the wrong time can have dire consequences. Finding the right moment could change the results as much as the content of what is being transmitted. The question of knowing what is the best time to speak with someone is crucial. This becomes even more difficult when you can’t do it in person but have to do it over the phone. In this situation, you can’t possibly assess the state of mind of that person beforehand. You have no chance to review where that person is and if they are available to talk. You can’t guess if they are disposed to listen to you.
The more complex is an idea you want to transmit, the more available the other person needs to be
For a phone call, the general rule is that it’s usually better to call someone in the morning that later at night if it is to present them with something new. The main reason is that people tend to jump into their routine as their day unfolds and are usually less willing to listen to novel ideas later during the day. It’s harder to get the necessary attention from someone when they are looking to go back home after a long and stressful day. It is better to do so when someone has some time in front of them and are not rushing to their next appointment. Trying to speak with someone before they have arrived at the office can be a great time to share new ideas.
Where and how are also key
The question of the environment and workplace is also important. As much as possible, try calling people when they are out of their usual environment. When at the office and usually surrounded by people, some individuals will pay less attention to what you are telling them. They might not give you the time you need to clearly present what you have to offer. Or maybe the work habits and processes they have developed in the past prevent them from listening to alternatives that seem too farfetched. For example, if someone is used to short meetings during their work day, it will be hard to get more time from that person to expose correctly some ideas. Depending on your project, it might require a lengthy dose of comprehension to be understood. Try to see when you can speak with them when they are in a different place and settings.
Being available on Instantgo
Even when you carefully plan the time you are going to call someone, you never know for sure where that person is or what they are doing. The process of knowing if someone is available to talk has not yet been resolved optimally through technology and software. This is why we have created a feature called “Availability” within Instantgo so people can easily let you know if they are available to talk by switching it on and off. Instead of letting people share a number of different status messages or state, we tried to make is as simple as possible. You are available or you are not. As we continue with the development of the Instantgo platform, we will continue to pay a high level of attention to it and see how we can make it better.
We want to make sure that Instantgo not only helps you to talk with the person you want but that you can do so at the optimal time for both of you, without having to exchange a large number of messages to schedule such discussion.
The importance of good manners
Another way to assess if it’s the right time to be speaking with someone is to be polite. By simply asking at the start of the phone conversation if the person is busy or if it’s a good time to speak, you will able to get some indications of the mood of that person and if this might be a good time to talk.
When you start to know someone and their habits, it will then be easier to know when it’s the right time to get them on the phone. Until then, probe the interlocutor to see if they are free and use a communication platform such as ours so you can know immediately if the other person is available.
