[Required for working adults! ] Become a text communication master!

2022.04.01

• Shikoku Office
• others

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Hello!
This is Inoue, a Persian cat from Beyond Shikoku Office.

I would like to write a blog about what I am trying to do regarding "text communication," which I think has increased with the spread of telework.
I think there are many new graduates who have started working at IT companies, so I hope this will be helpful.

Common problems with text communication

• Mechanical and difficult to see emotions (feeling blunt)
• Impression changes depending on the speed of response
• If you choose your words carefully, your Japanese will become strange.
• I can't convey what I want to convey well.

What I am doing to overcome the problem

Mechanical and difficult to see emotions (feeling blunt)

At our company, we use "Chat Work" as our main communication tool.
Chatwork has an ``Emoji'' function, so I was able to get rid of this casualness by putting an emoji somewhere in a sentence.
I often use emojis to say "Thank you for your hard work" when contacting members of the company.
I feel that the biggest effect of using emojis is that they make sentences softer.
When exchanging only text without emoticons, it is difficult to see the other person's emotions, and it tends to give a harsh or negative impression even though it was not intended.
Of course, it is OK to use emojis when contacting members of your company using chatwork.
But you can't use emojis when contacting customers, right?
When contacting customers, there are some things you can do to avoid being mechanical and giving the other party a blunt impression.
First of all, use the word "Thank you" often.
There aren't many people who feel bad when they say "thank you", right?

It is very important to say ``Thank you'' to customers for their actions, such as ``
Thank you for contacting us.'' `
`Thank you for your prompt confirmation.'' This technique can also be used by members of your company.
``Techniques'' may sound very tough, but I think it's a good idea to get used to them.

be sure to say "thank you"
when you feel someone cares about you or when they take some action In this sustainable era, wasting money is considered a bad thing, but please just say "thank you" and waste as much as you can!

Impression changes depending on the speed of response

Have you ever been concerned about the speed of response during text communication?
When I got the message, I thought I'd reply later because I was busy, but I forgot! Have you ever experienced this?
There is a saying, ``Do it tomorrow, you idiot,'' but ``Do it later, you idiot.''
It's true that when I'm working, the customer is my top priority, so I tend to neglect responding to other members of the company.
If you are busy dealing with a customer and find it difficult to reply to an internal communication,
``Please let me check later''
or ``I am aware that you are contacting me!''
It would be better if you could tell them a clear time, like "I'll check by 0:00," instead of just "later."
Not receiving a reply for a long time makes the other person anxious.
It makes you feel like, "I contacted you, but I wonder if they're actually looking at me?"
The faster the response, the better.
In addition to that, your text communication skills will be a strength if you include consideration for the other person.

If you choose your words carefully, your Japanese will become strange.

Isn't this problem a common problem when communicating via text?
For example, a sentence such as "○○ has completed the process, so we will contact you."
At first glance, it seems like a polite article.
What I feel uncomfortable with is the phrase "○○ is better."
It is clear that ``○○'' work has been completed, so if there is nothing else to compare it to, it is incorrect to say ``○○ person''.
Another thing is that the honorific word ``I will do it'' is included twice in one sentence.
It says, "I've done it, so I'll do it."
So, in order to make the sentence "○○ has completed, I would like to contact you." to avoid sounding strange Japanese, it should be written as
"○○ has completed. Could you please confirm?"

It's a good idea to break it into two sentences or change the wording, such as, " I would like to report that ○○ has been completed."

I can't convey what I want to convey well.

If you are having trouble conveying what you want to convey, what you need to be aware of is 6W3H.

1. what⇒what
2. why⇒why
3. when⇒when
4. who⇒who
5. whom⇒to whom
6. where⇒where
7. how to⇒how
8. how much⇒how much, how many
9. how many⇒how much

By incorporating this into your writing, you can clarify what you want to convey and prevent any omissions.
In addition, since you can convey what you want to convey to the other party in one communication, you can reduce the number of chats and make both parties' work more efficient.
The thing to keep in mind here is not to make each sentence too long.
If you are too conscious of "6W3H", there is a risk that your sentences will become too long.
Break sentences at appropriate points to avoid sentences becoming too long and difficult to convey.
When I write a blog or communicate via text, I try to keep the sentences as long as possible.
I'm not a literary talent, so if I make a sentence too long, I end up
not being able to convey what I want to convey to the other person (lol). It's a good idea to be conscious of keeping your sentences short, both for your sake and for yourself.

Difference between chat and email

What is the difference between chat and email?
Both are useful tools for communicating with customers.
However, I feel there is a big difference between chat and email.
It's "easy"!
Chat provides quick responses and allows for easy exchange of short messages.
Also, if you make a typing mistake, you can correct it later by clicking "Edit".
You can share chat content with multiple people and exchange chats with multiple people.
When you want to get in touch quickly, chat is overwhelmingly easier.
On the other hand, emails tend to be written in formal, rigid sentences.
Even if you make a typo or operational error, you cannot correct it using "Edit".
So, before you press the send button, be sure to check that there are no problems with the text!
And unlike chat, email is based on one-on-one communication.
E-mail is often used for polite communication and to communicate with others.
Also, I think it's easier to read emails again because the exchanges don't flow quickly like chats do.

Other things to keep in mind in business situations

As an engineer, when contacting customers, I want to be careful
not to use too many katakana, abbreviations, and technical terms.
It is unkind to speak words that you understand with the assumption that the other person also understands them.
For example
, "The work on ○○ is on-schedule." means
"The work on ○○ is progressing according to schedule and there are no problems."
``I will assign our engineer for the meeting on ○○.The agenda is ”,

the phrase would be,
“An engineer from our company will also be attending the meeting regarding ○○.The topic of the meeting is as follows.”
avoid using them too much
as it can confuse the other person It's a good idea to have a correct understanding of technical terminology and be able to communicate in Japanese so that anyone can understand it.

Finally

If you are new to text communication, you will definitely run into problems with text communication.
I, too, have been troubled by a number of concerns regarding text communication.
In summary, "text communication" is about respect and consideration for the other person.
Text communication is essential as a member of society and as an engineer, so I hope this will be helpful to you.
I would also like to encourage experienced working professionals to take a moment to think about ways to improve their text communication.
I will always be conscious of what I write on this blog so that I do not convey unintended content or feelings to others.

Growing every day, moving forward every day.
I have to update myself every day! ! !
Thank you for reading to the end.

If you found this article helpful , please give it a like!

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