UpGrade - text messaging for business people

Text messaging is a very popular way to communicate, both personal and professional. Texting is simple, efficient and effective. But what is consider acceptable when texting business contacts?

I receive questions weekly asking about Texting Etiquette as though by virtue of a chosen device, courtesy and business etiquette does not apply.
If you think about it, Etiquette in general is just a way to behave when taking into consideration how your actions (or lack thereof) could have an impact on others.

Technology use, whether it be e-mail, Blackberrys, IMs or even cell phones does not mean you do what you want, how you want or when you want without consideration for proper practices
and for others.

Sadly, all too many think that with technology anything goes. Wrong.

Regardless of what tool you are using, you simply need to be aware of how to use it properly with consideration for others. This means not answering e-mails on your Blackberry or iPhone when in a meeting. Or talking loudly on your cell phone where others are privy to your conversation whether they like it or not (movies, restaurants, etc.). Or sending/forwarding e-mails exposing all your contact’s addresses to strangers.

To hide behind technology as an excuse to not be courteous because the other side isn’t there for you to be accountable to, is self-serving at best. To reply to e-mails on your Blackberry while in a meeting clearly reflects your lack of business savvy and rofessionalism. Your full attention should be on the meeting.

Courtesy and perception go hand in hand. Without courtesy, the perceptions you leave in your wake will tell people exactly what they need to know about you — and it probably won’t be positive.

Don’t send a text, unless it’s urgent. When you send people a text, in most cases you will be interrupting them. The default settings on most mobile phones ring or vibrate when it receives a text message. So if you are going to interrupt someone, make sure you have a good reason.

Don’t send a text message if you can send an email. Every business professional I know checks his or her email at least twice a day and almost all of them prefer communication by e-mail rather than texting. For the most part, their reasons are time management based. People don’t like being interrupted unless it’s urgent and they are more productive if they respond to all their messages during scheduled blocks of time. For most people it’s also more efficient to type messages on a computer rather than on a phone.

Don’t send a text if you should make a call. If you know that the subject of your message will require back and forth communication, either pick up the phone and call the person or if it’s not time sensitive,
send an email requesting a specific time to talk. I also want to point out that business relationships are seldom built or strengthened through text messaging, so use it sparingly.

Avoid texting people who don’t text you. According to a Success Magazine survey, only 4% of the business professionals surveyed prefer texting to other forms of communication. If you have never received a text message from someone, consider that they may not like to text.

Don’t text bad news. If you have bad news to share with people, give them the courtesy of a call. Emailing or texting bad news is a cop out.

Don’t assume people know what all the acronyms and text slang mean. Not everyone knows that ttyl means “talk to you later” or jk means “just kidding”. Say what you mean and make sure your messages present you as a business professional, rather than a texting junkie.

Don’t text during meetings. If you send or read texts during a meeting, your actions convey that the meeting is not important to you. After all, how can you focus on the discussion that’s taking place if you are texting? It would be just like having a verbal side conversation. Clearly inconsiderate and disrespectful.

Use punctuation. Type your texts using the same punctuation you would use in your emails. Since these are business texts, make sure they present you well.

Proof your messages. Take an extra few seconds and make sure you don’t have any misspellings or improper language. Be proud of the messages you send.

Include your name. Unless you are absolutely certain that the recipient of your text has your name plugged into their phone, add your name to the end of the message.

Don’t send a text after leaving a message. As a general rule, if you call someone, you should always leave a message. After leaving a message, don’t follow up with a text message unless it is URGENT. Consider that your call interrupted them once. You don’t want your text to interrupt them a second time.

Don’t waste people’s time. Don’t send unnecessary text messages. As an example, when a text conversation is clearly over, don’t send another message. Once again, every text you send is likely to interrupt someone’s activity, meeting or train of thought.

Show respect and courtesy. Whatever you do, consider how it impacts those around you. Unless it’s urgent, avoid sending texts when you are spending time with people. You may want to consider implementing these same tips in your personal communications.

Think before you text.

For the Ten Commandments of iPhone etiquette from AT&T go to: http://www.infoworld.com/d/mobilize/infoworlds-10-commandments-iphone-etiquette-895&current=4&last=3&auto=y#slideshowTop

Ellen@impactfactoryutah.com

Text Messaging Etiquette - For Business People