4 tips for online communication

Our work environments are changing fast. Most of our business communications now take place online and much of these communications are now moving to our inboxes rather than e-mails. Many professionals are even moving to working virtually or digitally full-time. In these challenging times, here are four tips for the professionals who want to maintain their etiquette in the virtual world.

Properly introduce yourself

If you're approaching a stranger for business purposes, start by introducing yourself properly. It's not a good idea to kick off a conversation with "Hi, Apu/Hi, Bhaiya". Start off with a hello and go on to introduce yourself and then state the reason why you're approaching them.

Do not step over personal boundaries

It's not a good idea in the first place to approach someone in Facebook or WhatsApp for business reasons. In case you still do, make sure to maintain the boundary between professionalism and friendship. Yes, you can become friends with a person you know from work, but if you're starting your first conversation for a business reason, do not mix it up; it's considered inappropriate.

Make sure you're using good grammar

You do not have to be Shashi Tharoor. But at least, ensure that your sentences are constructed properly. Double check punctuations and be careful to avoid basic grammatical errors. If you're emailing someone, write your emails in the standard structure. If your writings are structured at the very least, chances are that you'd make a decent first impression.

Maintain a professional work email

It's understandable if your email ID is killerpunkz@yahoo.com. But, think twice before sending an email to someone for work or business from this ID. This screams that you are not professional enough. Maintain a proper online etiquette with a separate work email if you need to. Keep it simple.