Is it better to send an email, pick up the phone or doing it face to face?You are right to be wondering, the way of establishing contact is important in determining the final outcome of your negotiations.Indeed, while negotiating both parties, try, ideally, to reach a mutually satisfactory agreement.

What is the best way? How much importance do you give to this exchange?

If you plan to convey a lot of information, opt for an email. However, if you have to reach an agreement on the project objective, timeframe or price, it would be better to plan a phone call or an in-person meeting.And if time is a crucial factor, consider these numbers from a Washington University’s experiment:

Required time to obtain an agreement in a negotiation:
  • 47 minutes through a web chat
  • 24 minutes through a video chat
  • 18 minutes over the phone
  • 14 minutes on face to face