A bunch of templates on this touchy activity. Like this one on avoiding a phone call
Hey {{ first_name }},
Thanks so much for reaching out.
My schedule has been crazy lately, and these days, email is usually more convenient for me instead of the phone. Would you mind if we kept the discussion here?
I like this even more though. Encourage them to get on with it with one line:
Hey {{ first_name }},
What do you want to talk about?