By Enigheni Iwori
‘Hey dear. How are you doing?’
‘Hello. Fine thank you.’
‘Yeah, how was your day?’
‘Who is this please?’
‘Oh. I was at your store on Monday. I came in to get some items. Do you remember me?’
‘No, I don’t remember you. I attended to a lot of people that day.’
‘Ah, you should. I even greeted your Aunty. By the way, how is she doing?’
‘Like I said earlier, we had a lot of people in the store that day, plus that was five days ago. I don’t remember you. Please, what is your name?’
‘Oh really, you still don’t remember. Anyways my name is….’
I believe you must have encountered one or two people like the one above, that sent a text message to you for the first time and put you on a guessing spree.
A clear understanding of texting etiquette helps to avoid confusion, miscommunication, misunderstanding or ambiguity when texting others, especially for the first time and in professional settings. In essence, it ensures that people are not placed in an uncomfortable position or left to play guess who?
What is texting etiquette? It refers to the unspoken social rules for sending or receiving text or chat messages in a way that ensures clear, polite and respectful communication. In order to avoid awkward situations when texting people for the first time, here are a few helpful tips:
· Introduce yourself by clearly stating your name, what you do and the reason for texting them. Keep your introduction short and straight to the point.
· Send your messages within reasonable hours. Avoid sending texts late at night or early hours of the morning. This shows respect for their time and space.
· Consider how you met the person and why you are contacting them. Is it as a friend, colleague or business contact? This determines the tone of your text.
· Avoid bombarding them with too many messages or questions at the same time. Give them space to respond and do not expect an immediate reply.
· Avoid asking personal questions, especially in professional settings. You cannot text someone for the first time and start to inquire about the wellbeing of their spouse, parents, children or the electricity situation in their neighbourhood.
Today, try to make use of these tips to communicate effectively through text or chat messages and avoid confusion or misunderstanding.
See you next week.
