Business texting etiquette comes down to six rules: text only during business hours, keep it short, be specific, stay professional, sign off properly, and don't call about something you have already settled by text.
For many people, texting is a quick and simple way to communicate, and that is just as true at work. Text messages make it easy to set up meetings and appointments.
6 rules of business texting etiquette
If your work involves a lot of texting, learn the basics of business texting etiquette. Anyone can send a text, but in business, you need to make sure your texts stay professional at all times.
1. Text only during business hours
Messaging people about work while they are at home with their families is not polite, and most people dislike it. Keep work-related messages to business hours so that you don't irritate your clients and colleagues.
2. Keep it short
A text message is not the place for a long conversation or explanation. Leave that for emails and calls. Use a text to arrange a call, or to remind someone to read the email you sent.
If your message has four sentences or more, break it into two paragraphs to make it easier to scan.
3. Be specific
Because there is no room for a long conversation, you need to fit all the important details into a short message. Avoid vague words and sentences, so that you don't have to keep going back and forth to explain things.
4. Stay professional throughout
Emojis and slang have no place in business communication. Save them for your close friends and family.
Being professional also means staying polite, however the other person responds. This matters most when you handle customer complaints. Unhappy people are sometimes rude. When that happens, it is up to you to keep the conversation civil and professional.
5. Sign off properly
You are not chatting with a crush, where neither of you wants to be the first to hang up. Once you have said thank you and sent your regards, let the conversation end there. That is the proper way to end a business text.
6. Don't call after you have texted
People dislike being interrupted, especially for something they have already been told about. For example, if your client has already replied to your text about the place and time of the next meeting, don't follow it up with a call. That is irritating.
Choose one channel or the other. If you know the client rarely reads text messages, just call.
Check before you send
These simple rules help keep your next business text exchange professional. One more habit helps too: read your text again before you send it, so that no misspelling ruins the message. For a longer message, you can paste it into the Spell Checker first.