In this digital age, it may seem like you can take care of everything online. Basic communication, scheduling, and so many other tasks that previously fell to the telephone are now within the internet’s reach. The telephone, though, cannot be replaced.

The importance of a telephone, especially for a small business, cannot be overstated. It’s probably fair, in fact, to say that the telephone is the backbone of any small business. Telephones allow for communication with clients, suppliers, employees, and anyone who could possibly want to contact the business. Sure, email provides similar services, but despite the digital surge, most people still prefer to make a call than to send an email that could be easily ignored or deleted.

A phone call, then, means a personal connection. For a small business, every phone call is an opportunity to show a client just what makes your business so special. Every call becomes a sales pitch for new or repeated customer. This simply isn’t possible with an email. An email can come off as informal and impersonal. When you send an email, you a giving all of the power to the receiver to interpret the meaning and intention of the message. A phone call, though, means you are in control, and you can always make sure your message is understood the way you want it.

This brings up the second important reason phones are so relevant. Besides a direct, physical conversation, nothing gets more your message across more accurately than a telephone conversation. This is why companies have conference calls when members of the group are absent or elsewhere. If your client or customer has a question, nothing will answer that question with more speed or accuracy than a phone call.

Finally, a telephone comes with a guarantee. While an email from a customer might get overlooked, while an email to a supplier might have a misspelled email address, or while an email might not arrive because of a computer virus, a telephone always works. Barring major disasters, if your client, supplier, or employee needs to get in contact with you, or if you need to get in contact with them, then you can count on a telephone call to make sure it happens and that it happens right when you need it to.

So while it may seem that this is the age of the computer or the era of the internet, know that the telephone still reigns.