Inc.com columnist Alison Light-green answers questions well-nigh workplace and direction issues--everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team most torso scent .

A reader asks:

I run my own minor graphic pattern business. I piece of work with some regular clients, merely a lot of my work is one-off projects for pocket-size business clients. I'yard e'er open to new clients, though I also accept a steady stream of work, enough to be comfortable.

Here'southward the problem: Oft, a client or prospective client volition inquire if I tin "jump on the phone" for a quick talk or schedule a teleconference. I accept terrible social feet, and just thinking about talking to a stranger on the telephone makes me want to throw up. I get and then flustered on the phone that I can become practically unintelligible, so I don't sell myself well over the telephone anyhow. I also really like to accept every conversation in writing so there's no defoliation about job guidelines, deadlines, etc.

Is in that location a way I tin can say "No, permit'due south go along the conversation via email," or explicate that I don't communicate by telephone/teleconference? I have a therapist I work with, I have medication, and I know at that place are strategies I could utilize in the future to make phone calls more comfy--but from a business perspective, is in that location a way I can refuse this request without seeming ridiculous? I'1000 enlightened that insisting to communicate but by email could lose me some jobs, merely I have plenty work that I'g OK with that.

What practice you retrieve?

Green responds:

As long as you're OK with the possibility of losing business organization from people who experience more than comfy if they can talk by phone--and since you already have plenty work to exist comfortable--you tin can exercise your option to do this if you want.

For example, you tin say: "My schedule makes it hard for me to jump on the phone, but I'd be glad to respond whatsoever questions you have by email, and I can usually be quite responsive that manner."

Or if you want to be clearer that you're e'er going to be unavailable by phone: "I have a medical issue that means I don't use the telephone, but I'd be glad to answer any questions you take past email, and I can usually be quite responsive that way."

That said, more generally--and this doesn't sound similar information technology applies to y'all since y'all're in a position where y'all're calling the shots--I practise retrieve people who dislike the phone would exist doing themselves and their careers a service if they worked on getting comfortable talking on the telephone even when they don't want to.

In that location are tons of people who hate talking on the phone and who actively avoid it. I've heard dozens and dozens of managers say a version of this about junior staff members: "She kept telling me she hadn't heard back from the person who nosotros're waiting on info from, simply said she had followed upwards several times. Eventually I found out that all her follow-upwardly had been by email. She'd never once picked up the phone and called, even when it was getting urgent. I had to gild her to use the phone, and so we got the info nosotros needed." This is always said in a tone of exasperation, and understandably and so.

At some indicate in the time to come, the phone might get the way of the mimeograph auto. But until information technology does, for most people, "I hate the telephone" isn't sufficient reason to avoid using information technology when information technology makes sense for your chore. Merely y'all're an exception to this, because you're in a position where you can be choosy about how you work, which is a corking thing.

Want to submit a question of your own? Ship information technology to alison@askamanager.org .