Always Communicate Professionally with a Dash of Humility

Go to any of my sites and you know I am big on e-mail etiquette. It simply is a practice that allows you to be perceived favorably and professionally. Educated professionals communicate in an educated and professional manner.  Period.

There is one business in particular that I work with that always comes off as terse and demanding in almost every e-mail they’ve sent. No Hellos or Thank Yous, no closings and very few complete sentences. Always cryptic thoughts and blurbs. Maybe a sentence or two per e-mail stating what they want.

Up until now, I took it in stride. Until today. When I replied to an e-mail, point by point, I get a reply from them back in all caps. The caps were typed purposely to emphasize their point that assumed I did not understand what they meant and I was at fault in regard to what they perceived to be me not doing my job.

First, don’t ever yell in your e-mail.  No one appreciates being yelled at and there is no reason to resort to that level of communication in your business e-mails.   Secondly, don’t point fingers and type accusations when you are a cryptic communicator as though the other side should be able to read your mind and know what you “meant.”

In this case the person was irate that their site wasn’t live and insinuated I wasn’t thorough.  When in reality, all they had to do was clear their browser’s cache and hit reload to see their new site that was launched as I stated. No apology followed after clearly communicating in an insulting manner that was unnecessary and completely wrong in tone and content.

The lesson here grasshopper? Type in complete thoughts with clarity.  If you have to type “that isn’t what I meant” then you need to work on your communication skills.  And, before you make insulting insinuations to those technology partners that clearly know more than you, check your own backyard and make sure there is nothing on your side that you could be doing, not doing or not understanding to create the perceived issue at hand.

At your service,
Judith

Tags: e-mail etiquette, email etiquette