- \r\n \t
- Abbreviations look casual and are not businesslike.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Some colleagues (especially if they\u2019re older) may not understand the abbreviations.<\/li>\r\n \t
- Some abbreviations may not cross cultural boundaries, which is an issue if you\u2019re working with a multilingual team.<\/li>\r\n \t
- In most cases, it\u2019s just as easy to type out the entire word, particularly if you\u2019re using a mobile keyboard with a good autocomplete function.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
Avoid Emoticons<\/h3>\r\nEmoticons are very casual. They can help to soften the tone of a text message, but they\u2019re not businesslike and your audience may not take you seriously if you use them.\r\n
Watch your Tone<\/h3>\r\nGiven the brevity of text messages, it's relatively easy to sound curt and abrupt. Take some time to craft your message so you say what you need to say without offending the recipient.\r\n
Check Your Language<\/h3>\r\nWhen composing text messages for business, watch your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Misspelled words and poor punctuation create a bad impression. Proofread your message to eliminate errors before you hit send. Pay particular attention to autocorrect and autocomplete fails. Pay attention to what you\u2019re typing and make sure any correction actually says what you meant to say. Similarly, if you\u2019re texting by voice, check the message before sending, as there\u2019s no guarantee it will actually be correct.\r\n
Check the Recipient<\/h3>\r\nThe autocorrect functions on your phone are great, but can lead to confusion if contacts have similar names. Check that your message is going to the right person or people before you send it. That way you won\u2019t waste your time or accidentally send information to the wrong person.\r\n
Sign your Messages<\/h3>\r\nIn a business texting situation, you can\u2019t be sure that the recipient has your contact details. If they don\u2019t know who you are, they might ignore the message. So add your\u00a0name or initials<\/a>\u00a0at the end of the message to make it clear who the sender is.\r\n
Check Preferred Media & Obtain Permission<\/h3>\r\nCheck to see if texting related to work is an acceptable communication medium in your organization or group. To text business contacts outside the organization, ask for permission first, and then text only those who agree to text. (Note that if you send texts and get emails in return, it may be a sign that your audience is not comfortable with texts.) Also, make sure you have permission to add people to a contact group before<\/em> you send the first text.\r\n
Text During Business Hours<\/h3>\r\nDon't assume that because people text all of the time that it's okay to text in a professional situation outside of business hours. Your audience may be annoyed at the intrusion on their personal time, and even if they are not annoyed, they may not remember the text when they return to work.\r\n
Send a Text Message Only Once<\/h3>\r\nWhen you\u2019ve sent a text, don\u2019t keep re-sending if the person doesn\u2019t respond immediately. It just means that the person hasn\u2019t checked their phone. Give the recipient enough time to see the message and respond.\u00a0 If your texts to a particular audience are regularly not responded to, perhaps texting isn\u2019t the right communication method for a particular colleague or a particular situation.\r\n
Don't Text During a Meeting<\/h3>\r\nEven if the text is professionally-related, do not text during a meeting.\u00a0 It's rude to others in the meeting. If there is a situation that requires you to check your phone during a business occasion, inform others at the start with a brief explanation.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lQA4oOXPdFY\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n[1] Information on this page of Communications for Professionals<\/a> is adapted from the WikiHow<\/a> page, How to Write a Business Text Message<\/a>. Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-SA<\/a>. See Licenses and Attributions.","rendered":"
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[1] <\/sup>For a few years now, businesses have used text messaging to reach their customers, and it\u2019s now more common to text your boss, team members, and colleagues. But if you want to avoid annoying your contacts or causing offence, it\u2019s important to learn the rules of business texting etiquette.<\/p>\nAvoid Abbreviations<\/h3>\n
When you send a single text, you only have a limited number of characters to convey your message; longer messages will be split up into pieces. That\u2019s why you use abbreviations when doing personal texts.\u00a0 However, there are some issues with using abbreviations professionally:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Abbreviations look casual and are not businesslike.<\/li>\n
- Some colleagues (especially if they\u2019re older) may not understand the abbreviations.<\/li>\n
- Some abbreviations may not cross cultural boundaries, which is an issue if you\u2019re working with a multilingual team.<\/li>\n
- In most cases, it\u2019s just as easy to type out the entire word, particularly if you\u2019re using a mobile keyboard with a good autocomplete function.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Avoid Emoticons<\/h3>\n
Emoticons are very casual. They can help to soften the tone of a text message, but they\u2019re not businesslike and your audience may not take you seriously if you use them.<\/p>\n
Watch your Tone<\/h3>\n
Given the brevity of text messages, it’s relatively easy to sound curt and abrupt. Take some time to craft your message so you say what you need to say without offending the recipient.<\/p>\n
Check Your Language<\/h3>\n
When composing text messages for business, watch your spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Misspelled words and poor punctuation create a bad impression. Proofread your message to eliminate errors before you hit send. Pay particular attention to autocorrect and autocomplete fails. Pay attention to what you\u2019re typing and make sure any correction actually says what you meant to say. Similarly, if you\u2019re texting by voice, check the message before sending, as there\u2019s no guarantee it will actually be correct.<\/p>\n
Check the Recipient<\/h3>\n
The autocorrect functions on your phone are great, but can lead to confusion if contacts have similar names. Check that your message is going to the right person or people before you send it. That way you won\u2019t waste your time or accidentally send information to the wrong person.<\/p>\n
Sign your Messages<\/h3>\n