EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION PRESENTED BY THE SOLUTIONS GROUP
WHAT ARE YOUR PET PEEVES?
Spelling errors UPPER CASE Fancy text No subject SOME TOP COMPLAINTS
Reply all Prodigious forwarding No reply Delayed reply THE LIST OF COMPLAINTS CONTINUES
OTHER HELPFUL HINTS Leave “To” blank when working on a draft – if you accidentally hit “send” too soon, it won’t go to anyone. Whew! Always leave a signature line; don’t assume the person already knows who you are. Also, they may need your phone number, title, or other information that you normally include in your signature.
POLL ABOUT HOAXES
Urban legends and virus warnings Chain Letters Attachments DON’T FALL FOR THESE!
DON’T BE GUILTY! Exposed addresses Bandwidth hogs Flaming
CHOOSING RECIPIENTS WISELY Who should get copies? Are you sure? Implications of copying others on a “private”
GUIDELINES AND RULES OF ETIQUETTE Address the recipient by name to add a personal touch to your letter. Avoid over using punctuation marks!!!!!!!!!!!! Avoid using abbreviations, such as IMHO (in my humble opinion) or TTYL (talk to you later); not everyone is familiar with them.
MORE GOOD ADVICE 1.Skip a line when starting a new paragraph, avoid using tabs to signify a new paragraph; different programs read tabs in different ways. 2.If you are sending an attachment, make note of it and describe what the attachment is for in the body. Some people are wary of attachments due to the threat of computer viruses.
CONTENT AND COURTESY 1.Keep your s as concise as possible without leaving out any important information. 2.Keep usage of quoted text to a minimum. 3.Do not keep on sending the same message to the same person over and over again. If they don't respond after a few days, send them an asking if they received your first .
OTHER IMPORTANT TIPS Use threads. If you get a message from someone and you are going to respond, don't send a new message, simply hit the reply option on your . This keeps the original subject line with "Re:" in front of it.
IS NOT PRIVATE! 1.Remember most s are never completely private, there is always a chance of someone else besides the intended recipient reading it, so avoid writing any personal attacks which are unprofessional to begin with. 2.When reading s treat them as if they are private messages (unless you know you are allowed to share it with others).
IMPORTANT DECISION Is the appropriate communication method for your message? 1.Confidentiality 2.Risk 3.Necessary nuances of body language, voice tone 4.Do you need immediate “back and forth” of conversation?
ORGANIZE YOUR MESSAGES How are you currently using folders to organize your mail messages? How could you improve your message organization? Use Tools/ Rules or Tools/Organize in your software application for directions and help.
CLEAR OUT THE CLUTTER Easier to find what you need Response speed faster
SOME OBVIOUS NOTES ON CIVILITY 1.Don’t use offensive language 2.Don’t use offensive images 3.Don’t sign someone else’s name 4.Don’t forward messages without permission
“PLEASE IGNORE THAT MESSAGE I JUST SENT YOU…”
ARE YOU READY TO HIT “SEND?” 1.Know what you want to say 2.Keep it simple 3.Use bullet points 4.WIIFM 5.Don’t get bogged down
A FEW MORE POINTERS 6.Call to action 7.Edit 8.Spell check 9.Take 5 before hitting send 10.Follow up
MOST IMPORTANT! Profread Proooofread Proofreed
THANK YOU!