A lot of people hate email. Understandably so. It can be a distraction and a never-ending pit of messages and requests. But I have a secret.
I love email. Let me explain.
In my profession, I'll often be out filming with a client, traveling by plane or by car, or sleeping at odd hours because I just spent 3 days straight filming on a bus. Because of this, phone calls can be a big disruption, or simply not possible at the time.
Email also allows me to keep things in order, something I've found especially useful when editing video projects or working on projects over many weeks. Countless times have I been saved by having the ability to go back and read someone's actual words.
When working in any creative field, collaboration is key. I like to think I take good notes, but if I'm honest, I got good grades in college because I pick things up quickly and I have a knack for figuring out correct answers. Not because I took good notes. I'd rather have the cheat sheet and have your notes on our project together.
I couldn't tell you how many emails I get a day, because I don't keep track. I respond to them as I get them, delete them if they're not needed, and aggressively unsubscribe from all mailing lists. In the end, this means I generally only get messages that matter, from people who are actually interested in having a dialogue with me. Isn't that the point?
And emails allow me to respond to, or at least read, all messages that come in, regardless of my location. Most emails take about as long to write as a couple text messages or tweets. I don't have to schedule a time, or make sure all parties are available, or worry about being in a good service area.
I know there's a huge importance to a phone call in certain situations, especially during the early stages of a project when discussing its scope, or to discuss a specific point that is difficult or lengthy to explain in writing.
But email can be done right. It doesn't have to be a burden.
Go ahead, email me. Let's chat about something interesting, share some ideas, talk about work, or just send me a funny YouTube video.
I'll respond.