Author:
Peter Berry
Date Of Creation:
17 February 2021
Update Date:
1 July 2024
Content
The way you choose to respond to someone can affect the way they and others perceive you. Fortunately, knowing how and when to give feedback is something you can learn to improve. If you are talking to someone face to face, the key is to pay attention to them and let them express their thoughts before you give a considered answer. When chatting with text messages, there are a few tacit rules you need to follow in order to communicate successfully. Email is the more formal form of communication with professional conventions that you need to follow to communicate effectively and respond appropriately.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Reply to text messages
Use everyday language when you text. Email, correspondence, and even face-to-face chat can take place in a more formal manner.Because of the concise and limited nature of text messages, using more relaxed language is appropriate and conveys the message that the conversation is more personal.
- For example, you could use “b” instead of “you” to save space, send a message faster, and express a relaxed tone.
- Punctuation rules are usually more comfortable in text messaging. For example, the mandatory rule of commas can make the conversation feel bombastic and formal.
- Don't always assume texting is okay, but if the other person uses everyday language, respond to them to help them relax.
Ask open-ended questions to develop conversation. If you want to keep a text chat going, asking open-ended questions helps the other person talk more and express their opinion on a topic. Asking questions that provide a concise yes or no answer will make conversation boring.- For example, if you're talking to someone about your business, you might ask, "How do you feel about a new project?"
- If you want to know more about a person's thoughts on a subject, try texting them like, "I agree with you, but why do you think so?"
Avoid submitting harsh or single-word responses. Text messages should be relatively short, but a curt or hasty response can convey the message that you are angry or upset with the person. If you are replying to someone's message, send them a meaningful reply containing at least 1 or 2 sentences.- Sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to answer "OK" if it makes sense in context. However, avoid sending the word "K" again, as it feels gruff and rude.
Advice: If you usually give short answers, you can keep doing so.
Use punctuation and emojis to convey tone. Because of the objective nature of text messages, people can understand tone or emotions through concise language. You can clearly communicate your ideas using punctuation and emojis if your message looks vague.
- For example, you might respond, “I know, thanks. :) ”then the text doesn't feel as though you are being annoyed or abrupt at the person.
- Sometimes, using dots makes it feel as though you are angry. For example, it is more comfortable to say, "No, it's not there" instead of saying "No. It does not have".
Review the message before sending. Before sending the message, you should check quickly. Check for typos, and make sure you are conveying the right message and using the correct tone.
- Once you send the message, you cannot retrieve it! So it's best to have a quick check before sending.
Do not send the next batch of messages. Batches of notifications and text message threads can annoy and frustrate others. Send a reply that includes everything you want to say, instead of sending lots of short messages.
- It's also normal to send an extra text if you forget your mind or need to clarify something.
- If someone doesn't respond to 2 messages in a row, they probably don't want to talk to you or they're not on the phone. Either way, you should give them time and space to respond.
Ask for a phone call if the conversation becomes too complicated for texting. Text messages should be short and concise. If the text conversation starts to get too clumsy to the point that you can't properly express your thoughts, ask if the person can call you so you can speak in detail or discuss Full thesis statement.
- Try texting like this, “It will be easier to explain over the phone. Can you call me, thank you! "
Method 2 of 3: Chat directly with someone
Listen carefully when someone talks to you. Whenever someone talks to you, make eye contact and pay attention to what they say. This shows that you are listening and understanding what they are saying.
- Pay full attention to the speaker so they feel comfortable talking to you.
- Lean closer or ask your partner if you can move to a quieter place if you find it difficult to hear clearly.
Pay attention to non-verbal cues from the speaker. Body language can convey more than just a person's words. While someone is talking, observe their body language to see how you should respond.
- For example, if someone keeps looking around or turning their feet back and forth, they may be worried or scared. Ask them if they are okay instead of responding to what they say.
- You should also listen to the way they speak. If they speak out loud or offensive, they are probably upset or angry about the conversation. You will need a different approach when responding to avoid further stress.
Avoid responding while someone is speaking. If you are too excited or enthusiastic about answering before someone finishes talking, they will notice and may be upset. Wait until they have finished talking and you have heard everything they want to say before giving any response.
- It would be rude to interfere with your own thoughts while someone else is speaking.
Advice: Listen and keep in mind the main points you plan to respond to while someone is speaking, but don't ignore what they say afterward so you can give smarter or quicker answers. fast.
Wait until they finish speaking before you speak. When you're talking to someone, let them finish their thoughts before you respond. This way, you will know all the facts and information they want to convey so you can give insightful and insightful answers.
- Sometimes people will add a little more information after they have finished talking. For example, they might say, "Oh wait, I forgot to say this." Let them say everything they want to say.
Think about the response so that you can speak with confidence. Before responding, take a moment to consider all the information you already know. If you give an off-topic answer, the other person will think you weren't really listening to what they said.
- Taking a moment to think about how to respond also ensures that you give an intelligent response.
Ask questions if you need explanation or more information. If you can't hear or understand what someone is saying, don't try to respond with misunderstanding or misconception. Ask them what they said or what they meant so you can respond accordingly.
- If you are unsure of someone's intentions or want them to explain their true meaning before responding, ask an open-ended question, "What do you mean?"
- It's okay to ask someone again if you can't hear or fully understand what they've said.
Speak directly and clearly when you respond. After you weigh the information you get and think about what you want to say, speak clearly and confidently. Don't use ambiguous or conflicting language to try to appear quicker or smarter. People appreciate the truth, so give honest feedback to show that you care and understand them.
- Make sure they're paying attention so you don't have to repeat them.
- Know if someone else wants to talk and give them a chance to talk.
- Let the other person respond to what you have said. Don't leave or end the conversation because you have had a chance to speak.
Be prepared when someone objects. Even if you have considered what you want to say, there is always a chance that someone will object to your words. That is fine too! Be prepared in case someone argues or tries to look down on what you say.
- Stay calm and don't get angry if someone tries to provoke you.
- Let others confirm their beliefs and opinions. Don't try to force them to accept your point of view.
Method 3 of 3: Email feedback
Reply to emails within 48 hours. Timely response to email is important for showing courtesy and professionalism.You do not need to respond immediately, but you should respond within at least 2 days.
- Whether the email is irrelevant to you or by mistake, reply to the sender so they know they sent the wrong person.
Use a professional greeting in the response email. Email is often more formal than text messages or phone calls. Answer with "Hello" or "Hi" in front of a person's name to initiate the email properly.
- If the person you're responding to has a particular preference for greeting or wants you to call them by name, do as required. For example, if they want you to call them a short name, like "Bob" instead of "Robert" use that given name.
Limit the use of exclamation points. The response should have proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation. However, using too much exclamation mark may make you seem insincere or overly aggressive. Avoid using them unless appropriate.
- Exclamation marks are a great way to congratulate someone or convey excitement, but if abused, they will be ineffective.
Avoid fonts that are hard to see when you send emails. Choose a basic font to make your email look professional. Don't use a colorful font or typeface like Comic Sans when you're sending feedback emails.
- A basic choice is a size of 10 or 12 for the Arial or Times New Roman font.
Pay attention to the recipient in the response email. Sometimes, it helps to include someone else in the response so you can include them in the discussion. However, sending it to an unrelated counselor or colleague will actually upset or angry the person you're responding to.
- If you need to include someone else in the email, use the “BCC” feature, which means sending emails to many people but the information about those people will be kept private.
Specify who you want to reply to in a group email. If the reply to everyone in the group was the right response, choose “Reply to all” when you send it back. However, if you need to ask or clarify a specific topic or problem with a person, send it directly to that person.
- If there is a large group of people in an email but you only need to reply to a few people, you can simply choose to respond to those people.
Avoid sending a thank you email unless it's necessary. A brief email that isn't useful for a conversation won't be necessary. Unless the sender asks you to confirm that you have received and understood the email, sending "Thank you" emails will be unnecessary and annoying.
Advice: If someone sends you a "viewed" message, confirm you received the email by clicking on the message to send them a notification.
Read the email again and check the recipient before sending. Spelling or grammatical errors can make your email look unprofessional. Before sending, take a moment to re-read the response. Check the correct spelling and grammar and make sure you're sending the right person.
- Don't depend on spellchecking to find all the errors!
- Try reading the email out loud before sending it so you can hear the content clearly.
- Email applications or programs often auto-fill email addresses as you type in recipient data fields, which can cause you to accidentally send emails to the wrong person.
