Don’ts:
- Don’t use abbreviations if you don’t have to. Not everyone knows what “OMG” means.
- Don’t text while having a face-to-face conversation. It’s always rude and makes the other person feel like you are not interested.
- Don’t text while listening to a speaker or presenter. It is rude and it sends the wrong message about you and the group you are part of.
- Don’t text questions that require long explanations. It’s a burden on the recipient. Keep it to short answers like yes, no, 9pm, etc…
- Don’t be sarcastic or ironic. Those sentiments do not convey well via text.
Bonus: Don’t write in ALL CAPS, just like in email, it’s the digital equivalent of shouting.
Do’s:
- Do send a text when all you are looking for is a simple direct answer.
- Do send a text when you don’t want to interrupt the recipient.
- Do text when you have something of value or truly worth it to share.
- Be polite and courteous in your messages no matter how short they are.
- Do help the recipient answer your question by providing options or selections from a multiple choice. Ex. Are we seeing Spiderman at 9pm or 11pm? If so, do we meet at Starbucks at 8:30pm or 10:30pm. Reply example: Spiderman, Starbucks at 8:30pm.
Bonus: Do not text after 10pm in a business setting. Most of us have our mobile phones near us when we sleep and a late text can wake us.