Shepard’s Communication Preferences.
Most people do not care so much about communication, and do not go into huge detail like I am herein. I completely understand if you are one of the kinds of people who do not care that much. If you do care, please know that if we are friends or business associates, I will happily learn your preferences and respect them as much as possible.
Telephone calls
Never.
Please help me reach my goal of never talking on the phone ever again.
Telegram
Telegram is my preferred text messaging application. When I am not at a relaxed place with plenty of time, for example at home, or in a hotel room, I like telegram messages to be short and sweet and the topic to be something that needs to be attended to before I might get to emails. For example, if the message is the suggested text for a draft email, I would prefer to get that via email. If it is a request to stop and get bananas at the store on the way to the party at your house, telegram is perfect. When I receive a telegram message, I look at it immediately, so if your issue is something that I should look at immediately, telegram is perfect! If it can wait a few days or at least a day, email is typically better.
The challenge with longer messages that have a note that it is okay to read it later, is that I will not remember to read it later unless I make a calendar invite, and that also requires a lot of time with my eyes off of the road to create.
Telegram allows a reply to each message, so if there is more than one topic, I prefer separate telegram messages. For example, if you want to communicate to me that the roads are slick and I should be careful, and also ask how many beers I enjoy drinking in an average night, and also how many quarters I have in my pocket, those three messages should be sent as separate messages. This will allow me to reply with a thumbs up to the first message, with the number 13 to the second message and they reply to the last message with a 2.
SMS text message. 307 – 690-020five
This is for people who do not have telegram. When I see a notification pop up, I read my telegram and text messages immediately, sometimes I am driving and this is risky, however I assume that if the message came in by either of those mediums, it requires my quick attention. It is easier for me to read a message that is four lines long than one that is 25 lines long.
Email. shepard > shootinjh.com
I like email because it is a signal that the matter is not incredibly urgent and it allows for more details. Having said this, emails are a request for my time, and my time is very valuable. I prefer messages in which things are said with as few words as possible, which is something that I am not good at, so I completely understand if you also are bad at this. Just know, that if I think I am getting the drift of each paragraph, I might not continue reading all the way to the end of it if it is a long message.
Zoom
Because I have difficulty hearing voices that are not crisp and clear and deep, it is very helpful for me to be able to read lips. Zoom allows this, along with facial expressions and other nonverbal communications. For this reason, I really like Zoom. If our communication is something that cannot be achieved more quickly and efficiently via text message or email, then zoom is a great option! If you are a salesperson; please just send a short and sweet email, not a 30-page prospectus.
I am very fortunate to have designed, and to be living, a busy life. I have been somewhat successful at methodically filling my life with the things that are important to me. I almost never talk via the telephone or Zoom, just for the sake of staying in touch and chit-chatting. Some people very much enjoy this and feel deeply that it is a necessary part of friendships and staying in touch and maintaining a good knowledge of their friends likes, dislikes and interests. This could be true, however I have built my life in a way that does not allow much time for this. Having said this, if you are someone who I care about, I would definitely love to schedule a 10 or 15 minute time to catch up, I recognize that I should not take my relationships for granted, and if it is important to you to do that, let’s make it happen! 🙂
Audio recordings
I spend a lot of time in my vehicle, and am usually listening to lectures or books on audible. If you would like to spend a good bit of time sharing deep thoughts with me, this is a wonderful medium. I am able to listen to your message while I drive.
Reasons and philosophy about the above
I am able to hear most men’s voices. Some men have soft, high-pitched, mumbling or effeminate voices and those are very difficult for me to hear. I also have difficulty hearing most women’s voices, unless they are deep and crisp and clear.
I have always disliked that telephone calls are an immediate demand for my attention, that seems very disrespectful. If ever I am going to have a telephone conversation, it would seem that it would be polite for me to schedule it with someone based on a mutually acceptable time. It seems rude and presumptive of me to pick up my phone and call someone at a time that is convenient for me, when they might not have time in their schedule, or want to chat with me.
