When it comes to communication, it can often seem like we’re just trying to align with one another. Any lag time in responding can lead to missed opportunities, miscommunication, and even frustration as we try to figure out what someone said or where things went wrong. But what if communication ‘lag time’ was just the thing to help you move the needle forward?
The concept of asynchronous communication is what we’re talking about here. Even over the last few years, there has been an enormous change in how we communicate with one another, and various asynchronous communication tools have taken center stage. It’s been a big change from the ‘traditional’ way we communicated, and has changed things for better, and for worse.
But before we get into all that, let’s look at what asynchronous communication is.
What is asynchronous communication?
First off, let’s start by defining ‘asynchronous.’ Asynchronous refers to two or more events that are not happening at the same time; essentially, things that occur out of sync. When it comes to communications, this means any sort of communication that happens between two or more people where all parties are receiving the communication on their own time, and not necessarily at the same time.
Communicating ‘out of sync’ with others might sound like something you’re not supposed to do, but there are times when it can be used to your advantage, particularly in sales and marketing. Whether it’s within your own company, communicating with your customers, or even communicating with other businesses, asynchronous communication can be your key to establishing better relationships.
Getting in sync with your asynchronicity
Over the last few years, how we relate to one another has changed significantly (for a number of reasons!). For example, in the very first stages of the pandemic, everyone moved from primarily in-person communications to almost exclusively remote ones, changing communications strategies for pretty much everyone. For businesses, this meant finding a way to effectively communicate with their employees and customers — and it was a huge shock. Traditional communication happened in real time, and that meant getting responses instantly, being there to answer questions immediately, and having more certainty when it comes to closing deals and selling products or services. Traditional communication was synchronous, and it was the best way to maintain control. But in this new landscape, businesses had to figure out how to loosen up the communication reins.
Fast-forward to the present day, and asynchronous communication has not only found its footing, but it has completely changed (and in some cases, improved) the way we communicate with one another. But why? More flexibility is the obvious answer, but let’s dive a little deeper into some of the other benefits:
- It allows people time to process. Let’s face it — it’s not always the best time to strike up a conversation. Maybe you’re in the middle of an important task and someone comes by your desk to talk about something and you can’t focus 100% on the message. Or maybe you’re in the middle of an important business call and someone starts something noisy and you don’t fully hear the message. With real time communication, those messages are just lost. With asynchronous communication tools, such as emails or chats (or even voicemails!), the message can be reviewed when the recipient has time to focus on it. This can lead to better conversations where everyone is aligned and ready to contribute to the conversation.
- It makes tracking communications easier. Real time communications aren’t the best for logging historical data. Meetings, for example, may rely on a note-taker that could miss a piece of vital information. A phone call, perhaps, doesn’t track questions and answers during a conversation. Asynchronous communication provides a better opportunity to see what was said and when, giving companies a better way to see how a conversation is progressing. This can lend itself well to situations when someone is determining where a misunderstanding took place, how long it has been since contact has been made, or referencing what has already been said in a conversation.
- It takes the pressure out of ‘high pressure’ situations. This point goes hand in hand with our first point, especially when it comes to sales. Some people aren’t great in situations that take an ‘I need your answer NOW’ approach. If anything, the process can actually scare them off. Using an asynchronous approach is a softer and more understanding way to connect with someone, especially if they may not be ready to make a decision or if they’re unsure about a product or service. Taking the time to send emails and other communication that is meant solely to educate gives the recipient a chance to engage when they’re ready. Bonus: It also lets them know that you care enough to help them make a well-informed decision, not just the sale.
Asynchronous communication can be a big help when it comes to remote communication, but we’re not making the case to have it replace other communications altogether. It can have its downsides, too:
Miscommunication. It’s easy to take a sentence out of context (anyone who’s misread the intent of an email or text message can tell you that). More than not, we determine the meaning of a message not only by what is said, but how it is said. And you can’t get that kind of information from reading words on a page.
Taking too long to respond. What about those things that do require a quick response? Urgent matters or things that are time-sensitive, for example, may not be the best to handle over email.
Rather than trying to replace one with another, it’s important to look at your communication style and what people are responding to in order to figure out the best approach for your business. It could be both.
Examples of asynchronous communication
What is an example of asynchronous communication? Well, pretty much anything where one person is communicating and doesn’t receive an immediate response. This includes emails, slack, text messages, DMs, and even voicemails. That’s right — we communicate asynchronously every day (multiple times a day).
Let’s look at a few real-life examples to further expose how much asynchronous communication is interwoven throughout our daily routines.
Slack (and other messaging apps). When you think of asynchronous communication, this might be one of the first things that comes to mind. And for good reason! Slack (and other messaging apps like it) have become the norm. Online messaging software has become a convenient way to communicate when it comes to teams who work remotely or are in different time zones. While there are other apps for asynchronous communication, Slack is one that started it all. It not only allows people to chat with one another, but it also records conversation history and retains documents, allowing you to search for messages or past documents you might need to reference. It even integrates with other asynchronous communication tools (such as Google Drive) to make communications easier. Slack alone has over 10 million daily users. It’s safe to say that our world would not be the same without it.
Project Management Software. From Asana to Wrike to Monday.com, and probably a few others, project management software has been a crucial part of moving projects forward outside of the office. This software gives teams the ability to create, view, and assign project timelines while also providing flexibility around moving deadlines depending on various factors. When one teammate checks off a task, another can begin, and so on and so forth. Asynchronicity here allows teams to be more agile when it comes to projects, and it provides a clearer look into how much time a task actually takes.
Emails. Not just internally, but externally, too! Emails can be a great relationship builder, and an email chain provides a view into the entire conversation. It’s also a great way to distribute content. In fact, 81% of B2B marketers say that email is their most used form of content marketing. It also has an incredibly successful ROI. Giving people the chance to engage with content and other conversations on their own time gives them a great chance to feel properly prepared when engaging with a company for a service or product purchase.
And finally – your content! Content like videos, blogs, flyers, and brochures aren’t just asynchronous in themselves; they can also be facilitators of asynchronous communication. Remember, asynchronous communication is all about letting people consume messaging and communications on their own time. This applies to content and, by extension, their responses.
The process could go something like this: you post a blog on your website and notify people via social media. People are free to read the blog on their own time, and in the next few days, they have thoughts to share. Whether on your social media comment section or the blog itself, people leave comments talking about the blog, asking questions about the topic, and even striking up conversations with other readers. You see their responses and respond yourself when you are able. Just like that, you’ve used your initial asynchronous communication to facilitate other conversations. It’s the gift that keeps on giving?
There’s no reason to worry if you can’t have an in-person conversation, video chat, or phone call. Thanks to the many asynchronous communication tools available, it’s possible to reach people whenever, wherever, and still build the relationships you need to push your business forward.
For help turning your asynchronous communications into strategies that push you forward, visit our Services page to learn more about how we can help. When you’re ready to use your content to be a master facilitator, contact us. We’re always happy to help.