Communicate Professionalism by Learning the Keys to Professional Communication

“Hey man, what’s up?” isn’t a question you will likely hear in a professional setting. As a professional you need to think about your communication style whether when you are writing a letter, e-mail, or fax, or speaking on the phone, in a meeting, or at a social event.

In written business communication, make sure that your document is free of spelling and grammatical errors. Also pay attention to your word choice and sentence structure to ensure that your message is clear. For a letter, check the spelling of the recipient’s name and title. In the salutation, use a colon after the person’s name. (If you know the person well, you can use a comma.) End the letter with a closing like Sincerely or Cordially.

In typed correspondence you have several options to consider when formatting and styling your letter. You could choose block format, which is aligned along the left margin with no indentations, or a modified format, which is aligned along the left margin with individual paragraphs indented. Whichever option you choose, make sure you use it consistently.

When sending a fax, always include a cover page that identifies the sender and receiver, the number of pages, the subject, and a brief message about the nature of the fax. Make sure that your document has a margin of at least one inch on each side to avoid information getting cut off. If the fax is urgent, call before or after you send it to alert the recipient and to clear up any questions.

When communicating orally, consider your verbal style. Focus on your dialect, word choice, sentence structure, and enunciation. Avoid slang. Remember that during a phone call your voice is the only cue the caller has to tell if you are being respectful, showing concern, or even listening. Try tape recording yourself to see how you sound to others. Are you clear? Do you speak loudly enough? Are you speaking too fast or too slowly? Ask other people what they think of your speaking style to get a perspective on what a caller may experience on the phone with you.

When you are having a telephone conversation, focus on the phone call and don’t distract yourself with other tasks. Make sure you identify yourself immediately and smile because a caller can hear that in your voice. Make calls at a reasonable time and ask the person if the time is convenient or if you should call back later. Return calls promptly.

If you will be gone for an extended period of time, include that information in your voicemail message. The telephone greeting on your voicemail should include your name, company, and phone number. Speak slowly and clearly to allow the caller to gather all the information. Instruct the caller to leave detailed information, including his or her number and reason for calling. Return the courtesy when you are leaving a message by speaking slowly and clearly and giving your phone number twice.

When answering the phone remember that you are representing your company, so you need to follow the same etiquette as when you are making a call. Putting someone on hold should be done only briefly; when you return, address the caller by name. If you must transfer someone to another extension, give the caller the name and number of the person who will answer, and then make sure the call is answered.

Consider your surroundings before using your cell phone. If you are with individuals at lunch, in a meeting, or in another public place it is rude and disrespectful to carry on a cell phone conversation. If you must answer or make a call while with others, excuse yourself and conduct your business in private.

• From time to time you will find yourself mingling at business functions. Carrying on a conversation with total strangers may seem like a daunting task at first, but once you know what to do it becomes easier. In order to start conversations, ask people questions that require more than a yes or no answer. Be a good listener so that you can contribute to the conversation and learn from it. To be capable of talking about topics other than work so that you will be perceived as well rounded, it is important to keep up to date on the news. Also consider discussing popular movies, books, or sports to spark conversations. When appropriate you may discuss work, but be aware of your audience and use jargon only with people who will understand it. Avoid talking about politics and religion. Don’t gossip, use foul language, or talk negatively about others.
  
• If you need to exit a conversation, excuse yourself and thank the person for his or her interest. If you are in a group and see someone that you believe is interested in joining the conversation, invite the person in by opening the circle. Gracefully exiting a conversation or including others in it will help you gain the respect and confidence of your colleagues.
  
• You may have to speak publicly at some point in your career, so you need to be comfortable with the process. You need to learn the basic skills of writing a presentation, meeting the time requirements, being comfortable with your body language, and speaking smoothly in front of a group. These basic skills, in addition to the ones you’ve learned about other forms of communication, will assist you in preparing and delivering a presentation that will impress your audience. Mastering these skills and practicing your speaking in front of others will help you be successful in public speaking.
  
• The ability to write and speak clearly is important in every career. Knowing the right way to speak and write to achieve your goals will assist you in presenting yourself professionally and representing your organization in a positive way.
  
• For more information on professional communication, see Dana Casperson, Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career (New York: American Management Association, 1999).

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