There are more of us communicating electronically than ever before and with this comes the realisation that there are certain universal requirements to make this mode of communication functional, effective and efficient. These are presented herein as the e-communication etiquette that all modern businesses and individuals alike should endeavour to follow.<\/p>\n
This article focuses on the business element of e-communication but will touch on some of the personal aspects. That may affect and relate to business and professional communications.<\/p>\n
Depending on what it is that has been sent to you, there are a few accepted notions of how long you should take to respond. If it\u2019s from a customer or client, or any business-related email, chat and communication then the maximum of 24 hours is the longest you should leave it without a response<\/a>. How often have you pressed the send button, only to find that the attachment you mention in the body of the message has been left unattached or you\u2019ve attached the wrong document<\/a>. It is one of the most common emailing mistakes. Related to this, is a situation where the attachment is actually sent but the recipient is unable to open it as it\u2019s in a format they are unfamiliar with or don\u2019t use. So, double-check all attachments and send them in the most user-friendly, commonplace formats to allow recipients access. Alternatively, share documents in the cloud and simply send the link or allow access to those with who you need to be able to work.<\/p>\n Similar to the advice on attachments, re-read the body of your email before you send it. In our busy world of work and constant electronic interaction and emails<\/a> it is commonplace to make grammatical and spelling errors, so sending before you\u2019ve proofread will only land you in an embarrassing situation. Furthermore, ensure that you have the latest version of your email programme so that the editing function works as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n To be able to find the documents and email trails that you need when you need them, you need to have a workable filing system in place that you update and clean out on a regular basis. It won\u2019t take long for the smallest of company inboxes to fill up and if not organised it can take ages to find what you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n Organising your inbox must be a daily process and should be set as a daily task. The most productive people, clean and organise their inboxes at a set time each morning and will not progress to answering mail and reading new emails unless the old ones have been filed and organised in the right fashion.<\/p>\n A fast rebuttal to a message that has emotional undertones or has been taken personally will only lead to an escalation of any issues that may exist. When there has been an emotional email received or one that you feel prompts you to set the record straight or defend yourself. Wait till the next day before you respond.<\/p>\n This is related to the point above – many an office or employee dispute\/grievance is the result of miscommunication. Reading a message or email devoid of any human facial interaction. And reading too much into the email or message may elicit the wrong response.<\/p>\n It\u2019s just good manners and if you forward on an email, Or send out a bulk email ensure that the addresses are hidden or that you have permission from all the recipients to share their addresses.<\/p>\n Keep in mind the official communication procedures, copying in the recipient\u2019s supervisor Or manager may be a way to get them to respond, but it is rude and you wouldn\u2019t like it done to you, so don\u2019t. Furthermore, don\u2019t copy in anyone who isn\u2019t officially part of the communication without the other person, or people\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n It will be embarrassing and unprofessional to use language and emojis, gifs or memes that you don\u2019t really understand<\/a>. It\u2019s one of those \u2018dog ate my homework\u2019<\/em><\/strong> moments we\u2019ve all had, and the other person doesn\u2019t really believe it\u2019s a credible excuse. You really didn\u2019t get the email and for some unknown reason it did end up in your junk folder. It happens and while spam filtering can be extremely effective. It can sometimes be overzealous and start rerouting known senders to your junk or spam boxes. You can use software that will effectively stop emails going to spam<\/a> and save you this embarrassment.<\/p>\n Emails, texts, chat rooms, social media platforms and web forums present a myriad of ways to interact and communicate electronically. It is accepted that this is the future and that e-communication will be the predominant form of business. And personal communication for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n It will be of paramount importance to ensure that you have a clear protocol in your head for such communication. Keep it professional, keep it real and most of all keep it clean. Once it\u2019s been written and sent or posted it generally can\u2019t be retrieved. And removed before the recipient has seen it. So, never write and send anything that you\u2019d have a problem sharing with more than the recipient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" E-communication Etiquette for the Modern Professional There are more of us communicating electronically than ever before and with this comes the realisation that there are certain universal requirements to make this mode of communication functional, effective and efficient. These are presented herein as the e-communication etiquette that all modern businesses and individuals alike should endeavour …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3914,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[78],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\n
\nIt may be easier to send a generic, \u2018I\u2019ve seen your message and will get back to you shortly, And then formulating the exact response to the enquiry within the mentioned 24 hours.<\/p>\nDouble Check all Attachments<\/h4>\n
Re-read Everything Before you Click on Send<\/h4>\n
Organise your Inbox<\/h4>\n
What not to do in your e-communication<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Never respond immediately to an email with emotional language<\/h4>\n
Don\u2019t read things into messages that aren\u2019t actually clearly stated<\/h4>\n
Don\u2019t share addresses unless the owner has given permission<\/h4>\n
Don\u2019t copy people in that you shouldn\u2019t<\/h4>\n
Don\u2019t shout, or use emojis or gifs that you don\u2019t fully understand<\/h4>\n
\nIt\u2019s akin to WRITING IN CAPITALS in text speak and can get you kicked out of various chat rooms. It\u2019s best not to use it if you\u2019re unsure, stick to yellow smiley faces.<\/p>\nDon\u2019t Ignore your junk and spam folder<\/h4>\n