Buzz
The way you choose to respond to someone can influence how they and others perceive you. Fortunately, knowing how and when to respond is a skill you can learn to improve. If you are speaking to someone directly, it is important to pay attention to them and allow them to express their thoughts before you offer your considered response. When texting, there are certain unwritten rules to follow for successful communication. Email is a more formal communication method, with professional conventions you should follow to communicate effectively and respond appropriately.
Steps
Responding to Text Messages
Use casual language when texting. Emails, letters, and even face-to-face conversations may take a more formal tone. Due to the brief and limited nature of text messages, using more relaxed language is appropriate and conveys that the conversation is more personal.
- For example, you might use 'b' instead of 'you' to save space, send a quicker message, and maintain a casual tone.
- Punctuation rules tend to be more relaxed in text messages. For instance, mandatory comma usage might make a chat feel overly formal and stiff.
- Don’t always assume that text conversations will be informal, but if the other person uses casual language, it’s good to respond in kind to make them feel more comfortable.
Ask open-ended questions to keep the conversation going. If you want to keep a text conversation active, asking open-ended questions encourages the other person to share more and express their views on a topic. Asking yes-or-no questions leads to brief answers, which can make the conversation feel boring.
- For instance, if you’re discussing a business issue, you could ask, 'How do you feel about the new project?'
- If you want to know more about someone's thoughts on a subject, try texting them, 'I agree with you, but why do you think that?'
Avoid sending one-word or abrupt responses. Text messages should be relatively brief, but short or hasty replies can convey the message that you are angry or irritated with the other person. When responding to someone’s message, try to send a meaningful reply that includes at least one or two sentences.
- Sometimes, a response like 'OK' is perfectly fine if it fits the context. However, avoid sending just 'K,' as it may come off as abrupt and rude.
Tip: If you typically respond briefly, feel free to continue doing so.
Use punctuation and emojis to convey tone. Because text messages are inherently neutral, people may struggle to interpret the tone or emotion behind concise words. You can clarify your intent by using punctuation and emojis, especially if your message might be misunderstood.
- For example, you might respond, 'Got it, thanks! :)' to make sure the message doesn't sound annoyed or curt.
- Sometimes, using a period can make you sound angry. For example, it's often better to say, 'No, it isn’t' rather than 'No. It isn’t.'
Review your messages before sending them. Before hitting send, take a quick moment to review your message. Check for typos and ensure that your tone and message are appropriate.
- Once a message is sent, you can’t take it back! Therefore, it’s best to double-check before sending.
Avoid sending a series of consecutive messages. Sending a constant stream of notifications and brief text messages can be annoying and frustrating. Instead of sending multiple short messages, try responding with one message that covers everything you want to say.
- It’s okay to send an additional message if you forget something or need to clarify a point.
- If someone doesn’t reply to two consecutive messages, they might not want to talk, or they may not be using their phone. In either case, give them time and space to respond.
Request a phone call if the conversation gets too complicated for texting. Text messages should be brief and concise. If the conversation becomes too complicated to express your thoughts properly via text, ask if the person can call you so you can discuss the matter in detail.
- Try texting something like, “It would be easier to explain over the phone. Could you give me a call, please? Thank you!”
Engage in face-to-face conversations with someone.
Listen attentively when someone is talking to you. Whenever someone speaks to you, make eye contact and pay attention to their words. This shows that you are actively listening and understanding what they are saying.
- Focus entirely on the speaker so they feel comfortable talking to you.
- Lean in or ask if you can move to a quieter place if you find it hard to hear clearly.
Pay attention to non-verbal cues from the speaker. Body language can convey much more than a person’s words. When someone is talking, observe their body language to determine how you should respond.
- For example, if someone is constantly looking around or shifting their feet, they might be anxious or scared. It’s best to check if they are okay, rather than responding to what they are saying.
- You should also listen to the tone of their voice. If they speak loudly or aggressively, they may be upset or angry about the conversation. You’ll need to adjust your approach to avoid escalating the situation.
Avoid responding while someone is speaking. If you're overly eager or enthusiastic to answer before they've finished speaking, they may notice and feel frustrated. Wait until they've said everything they want to express before giving your response.
- Interrupting their thoughts while they're speaking is considered very rude.
Advice: Listen and mentally note the main points you want to respond to while someone is talking, but don’t ignore what they say afterward so you can provide a smarter or quicker reply.
Wait until they've finished speaking before you respond. When conversing with someone, allow them to complete their thoughts before you reply. This way, you'll know all the facts and details they wish to share, allowing you to give a more thoughtful and understanding response.
- Sometimes, people may add extra information after they've finished speaking. For instance, they might say, “Oh wait, I forgot to mention this.” Let them say everything they need to.
Think about your response before speaking with confidence. Before replying, take a moment to reflect on all the information you’ve gathered. Responding off-topic will make others think you weren't truly listening to what they said.
- Taking a brief moment to consider your answer ensures you give a smart response.
Ask questions if you need clarification or more information. If you can’t hear or fully understand what someone is saying, don’t respond based on incomplete or incorrect knowledge. Ask for clarification or their meaning so you can respond appropriately.
- If you're unsure about someone's intentions or want them to clarify their true meaning before responding, ask an open-ended question like, “What do you mean by that?”
- It’s also perfectly fine to ask someone to repeat themselves if you couldn’t hear or understand what they said clearly.
Be direct and clear when responding. After considering the information you've received and thinking about what you want to say, express yourself clearly and confidently. Avoid using vague or contradictory language in an attempt to sound clever or smarter. People appreciate honesty, so provide an honest response to show that you care and understand them.
- Make sure they're paying attention so you don’t have to repeat yourself.
- Be aware if someone else wants to speak and give them the opportunity.
- Allow the other person to respond to what you've said. Don’t walk away or end the conversation just because you've finished your turn to speak.
Prepare for objections. Even if you’ve carefully considered what you want to say, there’s always a chance someone will object to your words. That’s okay! Be ready for situations where someone may argue or dismiss your point.
- Stay calm and avoid getting upset if someone tries to provoke you.
- Let others assert their beliefs and opinions. Don’t try to force them to accept your point of view.
Replying to emails
Respond to emails within 48 hours. Timely email responses are important to demonstrate politeness and professionalism. While you don’t have to reply immediately, aim to respond within at least two days.
- Even if the email isn't relevant to you or was sent by mistake, reply to the sender to inform them that they’ve contacted the wrong person.
Use a professional greeting in email replies. Emails are typically more formal than text messages or phone calls. Start your email with “Hello” or “Hi” followed by the person's name for an appropriate greeting.
- If the person you’re replying to prefers a specific greeting or wants you to address them by their first name, follow their request. For example, if they prefer to be called “Bob” instead of “Robert,” use that name.
Avoid overusing exclamation marks. Response emails should adhere to proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. However, excessive use of exclamation marks may make you appear insincere or overly emotional. Use them sparingly, only when appropriate.
- Exclamation marks are great for congratulating someone or expressing enthusiasm, but overuse can dilute their impact.
Avoid hard-to-read fonts when sending emails. Choose basic, easy-to-read fonts for a professional email appearance. Avoid colorful fonts or exaggerated styles like Comic Sans when replying to emails.
- A solid choice is using font sizes 10 or 12 with Arial or Times New Roman fonts.
Pay attention to the recipients in your email reply. Sometimes it can be useful to include someone else in your response to bring them into the conversation. However, sending emails to irrelevant advisors or colleagues can frustrate or annoy the person you're replying to.
- If you need to include others, use the “BCC” feature to send the email to multiple people while keeping their identities hidden.
Identify the person you want to respond to in a group email. If responding to everyone in the group is appropriate, select “Reply All” when replying. However, if you need to ask or clarify something with an individual, send a direct reply to that person.
- If there’s a large group in the email but you only need to respond to a few, simply reply to those individuals.
Avoid sending a thank-you email unless necessary. Brief emails that do not contribute to the conversation are unnecessary. Unless the sender requests acknowledgment of receipt or understanding, sending a “Thank you” email can be redundant and bothersome.
Tip: If someone sends you a 'seen' message, confirm you’ve received the email by clicking on it to send them a notification.
Review the email and double-check the recipient before sending. Spelling or grammatical errors can make your email appear unprofessional. Before hitting send, take a moment to reread your reply. Check for accurate spelling and grammar and make sure you’re sending it to the correct person.
- Don’t rely solely on spell check to catch every mistake!
- Try reading the email aloud before sending so you can catch any errors.
- Email applications often autofill recipient addresses, which can lead to accidentally sending an email to the wrong person.
