Electronic Mail

Much has been written about email etiquette because this is such a popular and efficient form of communication.

If you wish to email to your business contact, check which address is the most appropriate. There may be confidentiality issues – particularly if your exchanges have something to do with career progression – and a personal email address may be more appropriate.

If he says it’s okay to email to his business address, do be circumspect. Emails may not always reach the recipient directly. Some people have staff who scan emails before forwarding on to the main addressee. Consider the likelihood that your email is going to be read by someone else, so be extra careful. Any references to personal habits (his, yours or other people’s) can be so rapidly transmitted around the world by an enthusiastic prankster.

On a more practical level, email is not the medium for rambling on and on about a project dear to your heart. Keep email communication clear and short. It’s no substitute for face-to-face contact, but it does allow for a fast exchange of information, particularly when confirming meetings or referring to matters just discussed.

Text Messages

This is the perfect form of communication for quick exchanges of information.

One word of warning on this one – don’t use confusing abbreviations. A colleague of mine received the following message – CU 7.30. Did that mean ‘See you at 7.30pm’ or ‘Curtain Up at 7.30pm’? She interpreted it as the former and missed the play!

Communication Skills Awareness Checklist

Presence – Pay attention to the way your voice and body language are used in conjunction with the words you speak. You can convey the right impression if they are used correctly.

Relating – Don’t underestimate the importance of developing your rapport-building skills to get on the same wavelength as your business prospect.

Questioning – When engaged in conversation with your contact, make sure you match your question to the situation or subject. Beware asking irrelevant questions – this will show that you’ve not paid attention to what he has said.

Listening – Listen to everything he says attentively. Try to reach at least Level Four. If he’s likely to become a significant influence in your business development strategy you should aim for achieving Level Five eventually.

Checking – The art of glancing at your business contact to see that he’s still on your wavelength while you’re engaged in dialogue. Watch for gestures and see whether he does the same when he’s talking to you.