Still recruiting volunteers on the phone?

Not only is recruiting volunteers by calling down a phone list tremendously time-intensive, it turns out that most folks prefer email contact to phone contact.

From the excellent Email Minute newsletter by higher-ed email marketing firm TargetX:

It's official. Email is preferred over every other form of human communication, including the former champion -- the telephone.

Just ask 10,000 people. That's what technology firm Reachon.com did, and their survey reveals the allure and power of email:

- 45 percent of respondents say the first thing they do when they wake up in the morning is check their email -- often before brushing their teeth.

- 20 percent admitted that reading their email first thing in the morning kept them from getting their kids to school on time, and 26 percent said it made them late for work.

- 80 percent reported that the first thing they do upon returning to the office from lunch is check emails -- even before checking voice messages.

- 15 percent conceded they check their email via PDA in the bathroom.

- A staggering 85 percent say they now prefer communicating by email rather than phone -- primarily because of email's ability to get straight to the point.

Of course, you gotta do it right: don't spam people, send 'em recruitment notes for activities they've told you they're interested in, etc. But email is fast, comparatively cheap, and the audience prefers it. What are you waiting for?