Simon Sinek is an author and speaker known for his popular TED Talks and his many best-selling books, including “Start With Why.”
His personal “why” is “to inspire people to do the things that inspire them so that, together, each of us can change our world for the better.”
In his December 10, 2021 Facebook Live Q&A session, Sinek addressed a question about helping people feel heard and understood when communicating virtually.
“In-person [communication] is always great,” he said, “but I actually think the phone is better than Zoom.”
One reason: “When we’re [on] Zoom, we fake eye contact. I’m staring down the barrel of [this] camera right now. To you, it feels like I’m looking right at you. To me, it’s sort of impersonal.”
He also noted the problem of Zoom burnout, and that it can be tough to focus when there are lots of people on a screen, especially when it’s clear some of them are multi-tasking while on the call.
Phone calls can also be much more intimate since your voice is so close to the other person’s ear.
“I think picking up the phone is actually pretty great. We’re more present on the phone. You can do a good job of hearing tone of voice and you can be really close with them. So, I’m a huge fan of the telephone.”
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About the Author
Scott Greggory is the Chief Creative Officer at BusinessVoice. A copywriter, voice talent and producer with the agency since 1993, he leads the writing team and helped pioneer Humor On Hold in the mid-1990s. His work has been recognized 150+ times by local, regional and national award shows for creative excellence, including the 2021 AAF Silver Medal Award. In 2026, Scott became the first inductee of Bowling Green State University’s School of Media and Communication Hall of Fame.