Small Business Today Magazine FEB 2015 TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGMENT | Page 14

EDITORIALFEATURE

Netiquette and

Teliquette
By Rita Santamaria

“

Netiquette” and “teliquette” (email
internet etiquette and telephone etiquette) are actually hot topics right
now. With so much correspondence
being handled by email and cellular phones,
many believe there has been a loss of
good manners being practiced within the
business environment. Emailing is just as
important as a live phone conversation is
in today’s workplace but many employers
are losing customers, leads, and dollars
due to poorly handled emails. One can
have their character, performance, and intelligence predetermined by the way they
write, reply, and use email communication.

Email Etiquette Basics

There must be information put on the
subject line that demonstrates the core
meaning of your email message. There
should always be a greeting at the beginning of the email just like you would do
with any mail correspondence; that is just
good manners. There should be a closing so as to not make you sound terse or
annoyed. Be sure you address the note
with the same formality as you would in
personal or business communication such
as, “Dear Ms. Santamaria” or “Dear Rita”.
Always verify correct spelling of the person’s name and spelling within the body of
the note. Emails with typos will influence
the reader’s respect for the sender. It may
cause them to view the sender as having
a lower intelligence level if there are grammatical errors or misspelled words.
Read your email out loud prior to clicking send so as to check the tone of your
message. Choose words that reflect your
meaning and try not to be abrupt. Using all
capital letters will give the recipient the feeling that you are screaming at them. Bolding
a word or phrase shows that you’re put-

“Teliquette” in the work
place is a skill that
requires continual
training. First
impressions are made
when the person calling
hears the greeting and
tone of the one
answering the phone.
ting emphasis on a point or being emphatic.
Using all lower case is viewed as though
you’re mumbling. Don’t abbreviate words
like “two” or “too” by using the number 2
or “you” by using the letter U. You are giving a first impression of yourself over the
electronic mail delivery system and abbreviations can give your associates and clients
the impression that you are in a hurry, disorganized, or uneducated.
The use of multiple exclamation points
– “!!!” and question marks – “???” demonstrate too much emotion in an email unless it’s a personal email and that is your
actual goal. If the intention is not to have
a personally charged tone in your email,
walk away from the computer or cellular
phone and relax for awhile. Then reread
your remarks and ask yourself if you were
on the receiving end of the note would
a working solution occur based on the
wording and tone of the email you are
writing? Reviewing the sender’s email to
verify you are interpreting their message
is a great suggestion. When in doubt, pick
up the phone and call that person to verify the sender’s information and demeanor.
Type complete sentences and use correct
sentence structure. The use of “thank

12 SMALL BUSINESS TODAY MAGAZINE [ FEBRUARY 2015 ]

you”, “please”, “how are you”, and other
courtesies are always good communication techniques and relevant to every
email and form of communication.

Telephone Etiquette Basics

“Teliquette” in the work place is a skill that
requires continual training. First impressions are made when the person calling
hears the greeting and tone of the one
answering the phone. One should always
answer the phone with a smile on their
face because people can actually hear the
difference when they are not smiling. Always answer the call by identifying yourself
and the name of the company; for example, “Hello, thank you for calling Champions School of Real Estate, this is Rita”. It
is important for the one answering the
phone to speak clearly and not too fast.
Remembering to use polite words such
as “thank you” and “please” will give a positive first impression of the entire company.
Answering the phone call on the first few
rings is an example of the company being
prepared and alert to receive the call. If
the call cannot be handled on the first few
rings, ask politely to put a caller on hold;
then pick up the other ringing line. Ask
the new caller politely if they mind holding
and that you will be back momentarily. In
a worst case scenario, allow the call to go
directly to voice mail but then check voice
mail as soon as possible and return the call
quickly. Never tell the caller how busy you
are or that many lines are ringing, etc. That
is not your client’s concern or problem to
solve. Again, it makes you and your company sound disorganized and short staffed.

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