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How to Communicate Effectively
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- 3. MISTAKES THAT WEDO WHILE COMMUNICATING … Forgetting to use a greeting or closing Too formal or Too informal Too lengthy or Too short Spelling and Grammatical Error Neglecting the proofread Saying “to whom it may concern” Forgetting to change the subject line/ bad subject line Hitting “Reply All” unnecessarily Not paying attention to the details Not monitoring your tone Asking questions that are already being answered Using the “I” more Using pronouns more than twice Not replying to emails
- 4. Subject Lines: • Aimto a maximum of 5 to 7 words. • Email subject lines are like newspaper headlines. • Should convey the main point of your message or the idea that you want the reader to take away. • One-word subjects such as “Hi,” “Question,” or “FYI” are not informative. • Examples: • Meeting Date Changed • Quick Question about your Presentation • Suggestions for the proposal Sign-offs: For your closing, something brief but friendly, or perhaps just your name or when expecting response, will do for most correspondence: • Thank you, • Best wishes, • See you tomorrow, • Warm Regards, • Thank you for your time. • I/We look forward to hearing from you. • Sincerely, • Best Regards, Greetings: When in doubt, address someone more formally to avoid offending them. Some common ways to address your reader are: • Dear Professor Smith, • Hello Ms. McMahon, • Hi Mary Jane, If you don’t know the name of the person you are addressing, or if the email addresses a diverse group, try something generic, yet polite: • Dear members of the selection committee, • Hello Everyone, HOW CAN “IT” BE AVOIDED ? IMPORTANT COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL
- 5. HOW CAN “IT”BE AVOIDED ? ANSWERING AN EMAIL Hi Frank, Would it be necessary to create a basic website to promote a new product ? How long would it likely take ? Thanks, Paul Hi Paul, I think a website would be a great idea. It would take about a week to prepare a basic site. A more complex site might require two weeks. Best Wishes, Frank Aim to respond to emails by the EOD, if couldn’t, respond within 24 hours Failing to answer the emails creates risk and costly delay, if your input is needed to solve a problem. Reply to all the questions that’s been asked for, else Paul has to mail you again to get the missing answers. Note: Your signature should contain your name, position, the name or logo of the company, your full contact details such as phone number, a fax, an IM id.
- 6. HOW CAN “IT”BE AVOIDED ? FRAMING & WRITING YOUR MESSAGE Greetings: Hello/Hi/Dear _________, (get the cue from how that person usually signs) Message Body: • Write it clearly and logically with appropriate formatting and no errors • Use appropriate tone • Don’t close abruptly, as it is to wrap up things and conclude in a manner that’s consistent. Sign-offs: Best Wishes, Warm Regards, Sincerely, … Long Emails ? • Try to keep ach sentences to no more than 15 to 20 words. • Use bulleted lists to group related points • Don’t attach unnecessary files • Compress the files before attaching and restrict the total file size to not more than 10 MB Proofread your message: • Proofreading is nothing but reading and marking any errors • This would help you catch and correct any errors before you hit end
- 7. INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) IM Conversations are usually brief and on a single topic Compose your IM logically and clearly Respect contact’s status indicator Treat IMs as face-to-face conversation Always start with greeting Do not write messages into bits and pieces
- 8. VERBAL COMMUNICATION WITH CLIENT Pay Attention to Your Tone of Voice Be Friendly Say “No” the Right Way Practice Active Listening Be Consistent Speak Their Language Always Say Please and Thank You Anticipate Questions Ask Questions as Needed Paraphrase/Summarize Avoid jargon Don’t take criticism too personally Respond promptly, but don’t be desperate Show your expertise
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