Communication Etiquette
How to Talk without Throwing Garbage from Your Mouth
COMMUNICATION ETIQUETTE
Etiquette is one of the most powerful forms of communication between people. Here are some things that must be observed.
Office Etiquette - Some of the most common blunders:
Failure to perform introductions. Always introduce newcomers and visitors to members of the group. Introduce a lower ranking person to a higher ranking person. Failure to rise and offer a hand when being introduced. This is especially important for women who formerly were expected to remain seated, a custom that has changed in the 1980s and 90s. Usually best to stand when making introductions.
Office Etiquette - Some of the most common blunders:
Inconsistency in addressing colleagues of equal rank, referring to a male client as Mr. Smith and a female client of the same rank as Barbara. Failure to respond to a business letter. As a general rule, a reply should be received within 4 days if the matter is important, and within 2 weeks at the outside if less vital. Inappropriate attire.
Telephone Etiquette
DOS Identify yourself when answering the phones or follow your companys policy. Answer phone no earlier than the second ring and by the fourth ring. Know how to use your company phone system. When leaving voice mail, start with your name and number, leave your message stating the reason for your call and then end with your name and number
Telephone Etiquette
DOS When giving your number, speak slowly and clearly to give the person time to write it down. Answer the telephone with a smile. Be friendly and courteous. If you do not know the answer to a question, offer to find out or suggest a solution. Return calls promptly. Try to call back the same day, if possible or early the following day.
Telephone Etiquette
Learn how to defuse an angry customer: Find out what the problem is. Ask what the customer wants to fix the problem. It that isnt doable, suggest alternatives. Dont get angry back.
Telephone Etiquette
DONTS Never leave a caller on hold for long. It is better to take their name and number and then promptly return their call. Dont multitask; concentrate on the caller. Dont chew gum or eat while talking on the phone. Dont interrupt a phone call for another conversation.
E-mail Communication
Put enough information in the subject line so the reader knows what it is about and can prioritize it appropriately. Be concise, professional and emotionally neutral. All your reader will see are the words and not your tone of voice or your body language. What you may write as a joke or sarcasm may be interpreted poorly by your reader. Say what you need to say in as few words as possible. Do not type in all caps as some people see this as yelling.
E-mail Communication
Do not put anything in an e-mail that you would not be comfortable seeing on the front page of the newspaper in the morning. You do not know where e-mail will go once you push the send button. The next person may forward it to the President and it has your name on it. Also, mistakes have been made you think you are sending a note to your coworker and instead it gets broadcast to the company. Dont do it. Dont forward jokes, chain letters or other types of junk messages especially those that others might find offensive, no matter how funny you may think they are. Dont forward jokes or messages that are unkind to others such as jokes making fun of particular races, ethnicities, religions
E-mail Communication
Keep it simple. Keep the text simple:
No more than 2 or 3 paragraphs, No more than 2 or 3 sentences to a paragraph.
E-Mail Etiquette
Consider all Email communication to be business communication. Remember
The Recipient may not be able to decipher the tone of the communication.
Avoid using too many abbreviations, acronyms.
E-Mail Etiquette
Consider using the Phone or talking directly to the person Some communication is better handled in person or on the phone where your voice and tone can help communicate. Misunderstandings can be avoided
E-Mail Etiquette
Subject Stay on Topic Dont mix unrelated ideas or action items in the same email. Don't risk the recipient tuning out before reaching the most important point of your message.
E-Mail Etiquette
Subject Field Usage Standards will help you to find emails in the future.
Use the Case Name, Client/Matter number, or Combination of both
E-Mail Etiquette
Addressee Fields Send your message to the right person.
To = Main recipient, who will take action CC = Other people who should be informed BC = Silent observers
Task Assignment
When assigning a task in an e-mail, be clear about which recipient is responsible for completing the task.
Enter the addressee last
Avoid sending an incomplete message.
E-Mail Etiquette
Attachments Be careful about what you send.
Metadata in Word documents PDF format preferred Attachments mean multiple versions
E-Mail Etiquette
Rules To Email By Be concise. Avoid long sentences Use proper grammar & spelling. In Replies try to answer all questions Pre-empt Follow-up Questions Dont overuse the High Priority flag Dont request Delivery & Read receipts Dont forward chain letter emails
Memos
When properly used, they perform one of the following functions:
Announce Confirm clarify or d. remind
They are not intended to:
Carrying on a dialogue Negotiating Determining consensus
Memos
Dont write a memo to deliver bad news; that should be given in person. But if you must write something negative, do include as many facts as possible. Dont use memo to accuse or warn anyone unless your facts are airtight. Limit to one page. In sum, if theres any chance that your intentions or methods could be misinterpreted, dont send a memo at all.
Boxer Muhammad Ali recalled a fight against Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title in January 1964. "Liston was the strongest man I'd ever fought," said Ali. "Every time I hit him, it hurt me worse than it did him. I gave him everything I had. When the sixth round ended, I was completely spent. I couldn't even raise my arms. I couldn't even stand up to go back into the ring. 'I'm goin; home!' I told my trainer Angelo Dundee. 'I'm not going back in there!'" Hearing this, Dundee demanded that Ali get ready to go in. But the fighter refused.
The bell rang and still Ali didn't rise. Dundee pushed him and shouted, "Get in there and don't come out until you are the heavyweight champion of the world." Ali struggled to his feet. Liston didn't. Muhammad Ali won the title, by just getting back up one more time than his opponent.
The End
