Messengers are one of the most common and convenient communication methods. It is a comfortable and fast way to transfer information.
There is a set of rules for business communication through instant messengers. By adhering to them, you will be able to establish yourself as a comfortable employee or tactful entrepreneur. Otherwise, you can alienate partners or customers, and this will affect your income.
First of all, don’t make rules. It will be correct, conducting a commercial dialogue in messengers, to immediately determine a certain framework with the client, beyond which you will not go. For example, for some people, calling after 6:00 pm is quite acceptable, but some people separate work from family life and prefer to take a break from business. At the same time, for some, the working day begins at 9:00, while others are still asleep at this time. Therefore, it is worth immediately indicating at what time it will be convenient for the client to contact? It is better to arrange a call in advance so that it does not look like an invasion of a person’s personal space. If, nevertheless, you need to contact a person outside of working hours, then it is best to write him a message in the messenger.
It is important to take care of the most valuable resource of those with whom you connect in messengers. This resource is time. Respect for partners or customers is manifested in the fact that you will save this resource. For example, it may be easier for you not to type text in the messenger, but to record a voice message. However, at the moment, it may not be very convenient for your recipient to listen to the message. In addition, time savings can be manifested in the fact that a person does not have to listen to a long voice message, which also consists of long pauses and unnecessary words. When information is presented in the text, it is easier not to miss important points, and also, if necessary, to review them again.
As for business correspondence, if you need to write a message in the messenger to several addressees at once, then according to the rules of etiquette it is necessary to introduce those people who are not familiar with each other. You can save a person’s time by identifying the subject of your letter. If you need to reply to one contact in a general chat, then it is better not to use the “reply to all” function. Do not forget about the legal side of correspondence in messengers. Anything you write or send can be saved. Therefore, some topics are better discussed live. Therefore, you should never resort to insults, threats, or discussion of business fraud in correspondence or calls.
Another important point to consider when writing correspondence is checking what you have written. Some are in such a rush to send a message that they miss the opportunity to check spelling errors. As a result, you can get a bad reputation in the eyes of customers or partners. It is also worth re-reading the message to determine in which key it is written. Make sure the letter is not in a didactic or tactless style.
If you use the group chat of the messenger for the entire department, then in order not to distract employees in vain, you can implement the following method of transferring information. By using the number 1 in front of the message, you indicate that the information is urgent and important. The number 2 will mean that the information is important, but it does not need to be read urgently. Number 3 will mean that the information is urgent, but not so important. And the number 4 will indicate that the message is not urgent or important. Such designations will allow more efficient use of working time, as well as more convenient transfer of information.
Although it is easier to send some data in an image (screenshot) format, it may not always be convenient for the recipient. Imagine if you scan bank details, personal account, phone numbers, or email addresses. The user will not be able to copy this data, and he will be forced to manually enter them on his own. This can lead to errors. Therefore, such information is best sent in text.
If a client or partner does not respond to messages in the messenger, do not call him immediately. First, the user will see your message when they log into the application. Second, unnecessary reminders tend to annoy business people. Thirdly, perhaps the person simply does not want to make contact. To avoid such difficulties, you can ask in the message to notify you immediately, since the information in it is urgent.
So, in a business environment, comfortable cooperation is valued no less than a job well done. By adhering to the rules of digital etiquette, you will not be able to alienate customers or partners who will be pleased to work with you.
