You communicate with co-workers, clients, and many other people during the day in some ways that don’t involve face-to-face chats. From emails to faxes to Zoom meetings and more, digital communication has revolutionized the way you connect with others.
To make sure that your digital communication makes a positive impression, it is important to keep some basic etiquette in mind. For example, please consider the following tips:
Email etiquette 101
As Zoho notes, it is important to use professional greetings, especially when you are reaching out to new or potential clients, or a manager or company owner.
Rather than start a business email with “Hey!” or “Hello everyone!” it’s important to use more formal greetings like “Dear Edward” or “To whom it may concern.” Granted, if you are emailing a co-worker that you have known for some time and you are friends, it is okay to use a more casual greeting, but in most cases, formal is the better choice.
In addition, consider adding an email tagline that includes your full name, job title, phone number, and email address. This will help make the work emails you send appear more professional. Just be careful not to overdo any slogans or quotes under your name; the basic info will suffice.
Always include a fax cover sheet
When you alert someone that you are sending a fax, you might understandably assume that yours is the only fax that will be coming through.
However, if you are sending a fax to a busy company, chances are good your message will get lost in a pile of faxes. To prevent your fax from ending up on the wrong desk, be sure to always include a fax cover sheet, like one of the free fax cover sheets from MyFax. These templates include important information like your name, who you are sending the fax to, and room for a note about the contents of the fax.
This way, the person who is in charge of receiving the faxes at the receiving end will easily be able to see who the fax is for, and he will not have to spend valuable time reading through it.
Remote meeting rules
It can be incredibly convenient to attend a meeting from your living room via Zoom or another virtual meeting program. But being in the comfort of your own home doesn’t give people carte blanche to be super casual about how they conduct themselves.
As Hubspot notes, arrive on time for the meeting, and, if you are in charge of the Zoom call, end the meeting at the pre-announced time. Resist the temptation to check your email and texts during the call; even if you are not currently talking, it’s best to look attentive at all times.
If you have to take notes during the Zoom call, try to use pen and paper rather than clicking away on your keyboard. Another option, if you prefer, is to mute your microphone so that others will not hear the tapping of your keys. If you have a question during the call, try to use the “raised hand” emoji to indicate you have something to say, rather than interrupting.
Etiquette makes digital communication more effective
Digital communication has certainly made it a lot easier to keep in touch with others at work. By keeping some basic rules of etiquette in mind, it can be as effective as face-to-face communication, and at the same time, it can help make a positive impression on others.
Featured image credit: Windows/Unsplash
