Business emails often seem impersonal and rigid. We have been trained to adopt a formal tone when writing compared to having a face- to- face conversation.
With the global pandemic ravaging lives and businesses alike, it is more important now than ever, that our written communication has a warm, friendly and a caring tone. It is quite difficult to find the right balance and not to come off as insincere or worse, uncaring
Sensitivity is the name of the game if you want to come across as warm. So here are 6 ways to improve your communication
Since everyone you write to are affected in some way by the circumstances, it is paramount to offer good wishes. Something simple like “I hope you and your family are well.”, generally is a good start.
Good wishes in the body of the mail is also an effective If your company is providing a gift like free webinar or a training session, you might include them in the mail and say, “We hope this small gesture can be of use to you during this time.” Wishes can also be a very good way of closing the mail and this can create a strong connection.
It is often very difficult to express warmth during business correspondence, hence we may often rely on phrases that sound insincere. To avoid this, try to reduce stock expressions or impersonal platitudes.
Try to avoid too much of business-speak phrases such as “We value our customers” or “We will get through this” or “Hang in there, better days are coming.” They may come off as your inability to express feelings
Another way to show care is to inculcate gratitude into the correspondence. So if you get any extension requests for delaying payments, keep in mind that relationship is key and if you can afford it, try to accommodate the request. Also make sure you express support for the loyalty they have shown over the years. Even simple statements of gratitude, like “I appreciate your getting back to me,” are important in showing that you care.
Negative statements are not a good idea in communication. They are especially true during trying times like these. Remove words such as ‘I’m afraid,” “I can’t,” or “I’m not sure,” or “I don’t know.”. Stay positive and this will keep up the spirits of the person to whom you are writing.
But in being positive, be sensitive to the reality we face. Telling a colleague “Have a great weekend!” or “Enjoy sheltering in place,” may sound facetious. Even an expression like “Happy Monday!” can grate.
If you’re writing to a business acquaintance, you might tell her, “I know how challenging working in a house full of kids can be.” Or you might say, “I’m impressed by the grit you’re showing in this situation.”
But if you don’t really know the person, such expressions can sound insincere. A recent email to me from someone I didn’t know, begins: “We know that you, too, care about psychological safety.” One from another stranger states: “Thinking about you and wondering how you’re doing.” Still another writer with whom I had no relationship ended her email with an “air hug.”
These expressions of empathy backfire because they are written to a list of recipients and therefore come across as insincere. If you are going to show empathy, be sure it is to someone you know and care about.
Be cautious of overdoing things in an effort to share wisdom and goodwill. If you were to say to someone who’s a bit overwhelmed, “You are not a bad person for feeling stretched,” it might come across as preaching. The same would be true if you said to a disgruntled employee, “This experience will strengthen you.”
Your heart may be in the right place, but we don’t have the right to be the arbiter of another person’s feelings. Listen to them, yes, but don’t tell them how they should feel.