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What are the advantages and disadvantages of writing a letter as opposed to making a telephone call when you want to make personal contact with someone?

There are many advantages and disadvantages that come along with opting to write a letter to someone instead of calling them on the telephone. One of the major advantages of writing a letter is that the person has more time to look at what you have written and will be better able to "digest" it before getting back to you.

On the other hand, a disadvantage of choosing to write a letter over calling them on the phone is that you have to wait for their reply. When talking on the phone, you get a better idea of how the person on the other line feels about what you are saying; you get more of an immediate reaction from them.

However, the downsides of writing a letter instead of making a telephone call should not completely stop anyone from writing letters. Letters look professional and generally organize thoughts better than the average phone call. People should be careful, though, when preparing a lettr because as James Glen Stovall (author of Writing for the Mass Media) says: "The well-written letter is impressive and appreciated by the receiver. The poorly written letter can establish negative feelings on the part of the receiver that are difficult to overcome." So one should proceed with caution when starting to write a letter. There is a thin line between sounding like you are trying to be too professional and not sounding professional enough. When one tries too hard, they can risk sounding patronizing but when one is too laid back in their attitude when writing a letter, they can risk sounding like they are not taking it seriously enough. Through making a telephone call instead, someone can gauge their own tone as words leave their mouth.