I agree with your latter point, but nowadays a lot of freelancers rarely or never meet their clients (especially if they're overseas).
That said, I'd still put e-mail as a better medium for this than the phone. Even if you worded it just right, it's awkward for the client too because it's not exactly something to celebrate but nor do they want to look cheap. E-mail provides the right level of formality for contractual/pricing discussions, IMHO at least.
That said, I'd still put e-mail as a better medium for this than the phone. Even if you worded it just right, it's awkward for the client too because it's not exactly something to celebrate but nor do they want to look cheap. E-mail provides the right level of formality for contractual/pricing discussions, IMHO at least.