MARY KAY SCULLY
BENCHMARKS & BEST PRACTICES
Don’t Get Too Comfortable How to keep business communications professional when working from home BY MARY KAY SCULLY | CONTRIBUTING WRITER, NATIONAL MORTGAGE PROFESSIONAL
I
n this new age of working from home, sweatpants seem to be everyone’s favorite “new normal.” We joke about it, but in reality most of us are cheating our way through video conferences with dress shirts on top and pajama pants on the bottom. Remote work brings with it a host of new opportunities, as well as some added flexibility that many are not used to having in an office. It can be good to take a break from the rules we are used to abiding by. However, getting a little too comfortable at home can spill over into the quality of your work. Even when you are no longer under your company’s roof, you must still represent them well. Especially when communicating on behalf of your organization, there are a few items to keep in mind.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE When communicating with borrowers, or even fellow employees, it’s important to know how they prefer to connect. This is crucial regardless if you’re working from home or in the office. Even the best emails will go unanswered if your borrower prefers a phone call. Be sure that you understand the best channels of communication for each person you’re working with and move forward accordingly. Let them know that certain information and documents can only be shared in a specific manner. For example, the loan estimate is sent via email requiring acknowledgement and the intent to proceed, but you may want to send a text alerting them to check their email and take action.
KEEP EMAILS PROFESSIONAL While working remotely, you may find that you are sending more emails than ever before. So many things that would have been communicated across your desk are now shared through emails or instant messages. While you may be used to speaking to someone one way in person, email is a completely different ball game. The words you say are transcribed. They can be shared, saved and read again. With this in mind, be sure to always consider how you approach others via email. Whether communicating inside or outside your organization, make sure
KEEP IT SHORT & TO THE POINT!
40%
# of people that read emails from their smartphone first. your tone is always professional. Check for spelling and grammatical errors. Be sure any attachments are correct before sending and determine if they need to be encrypted. All these small details can make a big difference when it comes to keeping a high level of professionalism at home. According to a recent article by Contact Monkey, 40% of people read emails from their smartphone first, so be sure you are keeping communications short and to the point, as recipients are often scanning. This is especially important for subject lines, as many recipients may only see the first few words before they decide if it’s worth reading.
LEAVE EFFECTIVE VOICEMAILS In the same way, you may find you are making more phone calls than usual. While talking on the phone is simple, it is surprising how many people struggle with leaving a message. Voicemails are usually the part of the call you don’t think of until you hear the tone that signals the recording. If you, as the caller,
