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5 Digital Etiquette Do’s and Don’ts

digital etiquetteRemember the good old days when the only way to conduct business was by way of phone, a face-to-face meeting, a letter or perhaps a fax? Well, depending on your age, your answer to that question might very well be NO. But trust us – the way business is carried out today is drastically different than the way it happened years ago. Do fax machines even exist anymore?? Anyhow.

In today’s digital world, there are literally dozens of ways to communicate with your clients, vendors and co-workers. Email. Text message. Social media. Audio conference call. Video conference call. Skype. Google Hangout. The choices seem endless.

In today’s digital world, there are literally dozens of ways to communicate with your clients, vendors and co-workers. Email. Text message. Social media. Audio conference call. Video conference call. Skype. Google Hangout. The choices seem endless.

If the digital realm prevails in your working world, mind your manners and follow these digital etiquette do’s and don’ts:

#1 – Add Value
Digital technology makes it easy to over-communicate. A couple seconds of typing or speaking and boom – your message is sent. But before you send out that email or text message, make sure it has value. Don’t send a communication unless it’s adding value to the topic or situation being discussed. 

#2 – Control Yourself
When using digital communication, keep your emotions under control. It’s easy to go off the handle and spew frustrations when the person on the receiving end isn’t standing in front of you. It’s also easy to sometimes over-share information, personal or business-related. Keep yourself and your messages in check.

#3 – Be Timely
Try to get back to your contacts within 24 hours. If you need more time to pull information together and adequately respond, let them know that. Setting their expectations is extremely important. And letting your contacts ‘hang’ can be dangerous to the situation. It can also be damaging to your reputation.

#4 – Keep It Concise
Keep your thoughts concise. Of course, there’s a time and place for the occasional marathon email or text. But in general, very few people have time to read and digest long communications. Details will get missed, which is never a good thing. Be as concise as you can. If you have time, go back and re-read your communication and edit it for brevity. 

#5 – Be Smart
Digital communications can get misinterpreted – in tone and even in the details of the topic being discussed. That’s why talking by phone or in person is still sometimes the safest and most effective way to get your message across, especially when the situation is urgent or sensitive in nature. So be smart about which communication channel you use for the different circumstances that will pop up in your work week.

Whether you’re an employer or a job seeker, these tips can be applied to your daily communications. If you’re looking for more tips and advice, we can help you in other aspects of your work life – whether it’s hiring qualified employees or finding employment for yourself! Connect with A.R. Mazzotta. A great place to start is at our Employer and Job Seeker FAQ pages.

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