MODULE 3 – TELEPHONE, EMAIL AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

PLATFORMS

Prepared by:
Dr. Josephine D. Rupert
Dr. Aquilina L. Able
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PLATFORMS

At the end of this Module, students should be able to:

1. Use telephone techniques and manners in answering and

placing phone calls in the workplace.
2. Create and send email messages.
3. Identify the different social media platforms and the benefits of
using them.
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PLATFORMS
To be successful in communicating with customers (internal and external),
you must be able to speak clearly, listen actively, and use correct grammar.
Every time you answer the telephone, you are projecting the image of your
organization. You must depend on your voice to project a pleasant,
businesslike attitude and to give the caller your full attention.
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1. Phone Techniques and Manners
What is phone etiquette?
Phone etiquette is the way you use
manners to represent yourself and
your business to customers via
telephone communication. This
includes the way you greet a
customer, your body language, tone
of voice, word choice, listening skills
and how you close a call.
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• Telephone techniques
1. Speak clearly. Because we
cannot rely on nonverbal expressions
when speaking on the telephone, our
tone and words must be especially
clear to communicate effectively. The
better you sound, the better you and
your company are perceived. The
voice you project is determined by
how well you can demonstrate the
following elements:
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• Volume. Speak as though you were
talking to someone across the desk
from you. If the caller is having
difficulty hearing you, you may have
to adjust your speech volume to
accommodate the caller.
• Rate of speed. Speak distinctly at a
rate that is neither too fast nor too
slow. Avoid speaking rapidly in
greeting the caller.
• Inflection. Inflection means to vary
the tone of your voice to bring out the
meaning of what you say and add
emphasis to what is said.
• •
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• Quality. Let your voice show
that you have a smile on your
face, that you are courteous and
enthusiastic, and that you are
ready and willing to help the
caller.
• Pronunciation. Pronunciation
means saying each word
correctly, clearly, and distinctly
by moving your lips, tongue, and
jaw freely.
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2. Listen actively. Active
listening requires you to
understand the message from
the caller’s point of view.
Hearing is easy; but active
listening is hard work. To be
an active listener, you must
focus on the following
elements:
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• Concentration. If you are not
engaged in the listening process,
the mind tends to wander. To help
you focus on what the caller is
saying, ask open-ended questions,
ones that cannot be answered with
a “yes” or “no.”
• Empathy. Empathy means you
must try to understand what the
caller wants to communicate rather
than what you want to understand.
It also means that you put yourself
in the caller’s shoes.
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• Acceptance. You must listen
objectively without judging content
until the caller is finished. When
you hear something you disagree
with, you have a tendency to begin
formulating mental arguments to
counter what is being said.
• Responsibility. Take the
responsibility for completeness.
Ask questions to gather
information to determine the
intended meaning from the caller.
Take notes to help you with details
of the conversation.
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3. Use correct grammar.
When you use incorrect
grammar, your image, and that
of your organization, is at stake.
Your use of poor grammar
reflects negatively on your
professionalism.
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RECEIVING TELEPHONE CALLS
1. Answer promptly. Answer the
telephone no later than the third ring.
Ensure that the mouthpiece or microphone
is close to our lips, no more than one inch
away, and speak directly into it in a normal,
conversational tone, use just enough volume
for your voice to be pleasant to the listener.
2. Identify yourself. Let the caller know
that the right office has been reached. Your
manager may tell you specifically how the
telephone should be answered. It is
courteous to let the caller know who you
are.
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3. Take complete messages. There
are seven essential elements in a
complete telephone message.
4. Be careful when answering calls
for others. Be careful how you explain
your manager’s and other coworkers”
absence from the office.
5. Transfer calls properly.
Transferring calls properly not only
involves knowing how to use the
transfer feature on your telephone but
also knowing who performs various
functions within your company.
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6. Answer a second line. If two telephones
ring at the same time, answer one and ask the
caller if you may be excused to answer the other
telephone.
7. Distribute messages promptly. Delaying
the delivery of telephone messages to the
appropriate people can cause costly and perhaps
embarrassing situations for your manager and
coworkers.
8. Screen calls. Some managers have such
heavy demands on their time that their calls
must be screened, and many of those calls must
be handled by someone else. Remember that
when screening calls, you want to determine
what the caller wants.
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2. Eletronic Mails
Electronic mail, most commonly called email or e-mail since around 1993, is
a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more
recipients. Email operates across the Internet or other computer networks.
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Employer’s concern on
misconduct in using e-mail
• Not all messages sent are
deemed as important to the
recipient as they by the sender.
• Messages can also be lost
or delayed if there are problems
with the host computer that
handles the e-mail service.
Another growing problem is junk
e-mail, called spam.
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• E-mail is another outlet for
direct mail solicitation.
• Without careful
management, e-mail can bring
frustration and confusion to
even the most organized
employees.
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E-mail Etiquette
Email etiquette refers to the
principles of behavior that one should
use when writing or answering email
messages. It is also known as the
code of conduct for email
communication. Email etiquette
depends upon to whom we are
writing- Friends & Relatives, Partners,
Customers, Superior or Subordinates.
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Based on the importance of e-mail
etiquette rules, or netiquette as it is
sometimes called, the following
information is provided as a review:
• Never send anything through e-
mail that you don’t want made public.
• Address the receiver by name in
the opening sentence.
• Always reread messages before
sending them
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• Keep your message as concise as
possible.
• Use capital letters sparingly. In the
e-mail world, a message or phrase
written in all caps is called “shouting.”
Use capital letters only for emphasis. If
you want to emphasize certain words or
phrases, highlight them.
• Most e-mail applications will
automatically display the original
messages in “replies” and “forwarded”
messages.
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• Always get a writer’s
permission before forwarding
or posting an e-mail message
• When posting a message
to a group, make sure your
message is pertinent to all
members of the group.
• When attaching a file to
your e-mail, be certain you have
actually attached the file.
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Ethical issues regarding e-mail

Employers have many legitimate reasons for monitoring their employees’
computer use, including e-mail, such as:
• Maintaining the company’s professional reputation and image
• Improving employee productivity
• Increasing security
• Preventing employee disclosure of trade secrets and other
confidential information
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Reminders when writing e-mail
message
• Identify the purpose of the
message and determining what the
recipient reading the message has to
do.
• Focus your objective. Achieve
the five I's: Inform, Inquire,
Influence, Instruct and Incite.
• Focus your content. Don't let
unnecessary ideas impose on your
principal message.
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The “To line”:
Each individual on the To line is
responsible for response or taking
the action (or part of an action)
outlined on the Subject line and
the message relates directly to
them.
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The Cc line:
No action or response is expected of
individuals on the Cc . The recipient
needs only to read or file the
message.
The Bcc line:
A feature similar to CC except that in
BCC or blind courtesy copy, recipients
are invisible to the other recipients.
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The Cc line:
No action or response is expected of
individuals on the Cc The recipient
needs only to read or file the
message.

The Bcc line:

A feature similar to CC except that in
BCC or blind courtesy copy,
recipients are invisible to the other
recipients.
Use Bcc field cautiously.
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The Subject: line
• Subject line should
effectively summarize the
messageNot use more than 6 or 7
words in subject line
Never use CAPITAL letter
When replying, change the
subject line when the topic
changes
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The Salutation:
• We should be very careful in writing the salutation because it can
be mistranslated the reader about the sender. So the sender must
ensure that his/her reader is comfortable and happy with salutation,
otherwise rest of the communication may not bring any positive result.
Below table shows some salutations for various circumstances.
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The four most common types of actions are:
✓Action: recipient has to perform a physical action (Actions should always have
a deadline). Ex: "Please provide the Reconcile report of November’15 by 10th
December’15."
✓Respond: recipient needs only to respond to your message. Ex: “Can you
attend the staff meeting on Saturday?"
✓Read only: recipient needs only to read your message. Ex: “Please read the
attached HR action plan before next HR meeting on Dec 12th."
✓For Information Only: recipient needs only to file your message for future
reference. Even reading the message is optional. Ex: "Enclosed for your records.
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Privacy • Use your corporate email for
• Email is not and never has work only. Never use it for personal
been private. Once you send an stuff. Corporate email is not
email, the recipient can and will do private, it is archived, it is
what they want with it. monitored, and most have policies
against it.
• If you can help it, never email
confidential information either. • Use the blind copy (BCC) or
Once emailed, confidential mail merge function to protect the
information becomes public as privacy of your contacts.
email is not private.
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Before you hit send, review
Read it as if you were an outsider
— how clear is it?

Check, and then check again ……..

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Reply or Reply to all
• Ask yourself: “Does everyone
need to know this information?”
• Answer swiftly:
• If the email is complicated,
send an email saying that you have
received it and that you will get back
to them.
• Respond only to messages
that require one.
• Be conscious of responding to
the sender
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The closing Thank you for your patience and
• In the business world, ending cooperation.
an email professionally is just as Thank you for your consideration.
important as perfecting the rest of the • Include an accurate follow-up
message. If you do it sloppily, you statement:
might lose some precious business
opportunities. I will send you additional
information.
• Courtesy is always important,
no matter how short the email is. I look forward to receiving your
input.
• Before you end your email you
can add some sentence as follows:
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The closing Thank you for your patience
• In the business world, ending and cooperation.
an email professionally is just as
important as perfecting the rest of Thank you for your
the message. If you do it sloppily, consideration.
you might lose some precious
business opportunities. • Include an accurate follow-up
• Courtesy is always important, statement:
no matter how short the email is. I will send you additional
• Before you end your email information.
you can add some sentence as
follows: I look forward to receiving
your input.
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Event (When to Use) Complimentary Closings
For a professional email • Best regards,
closing • Regards,
• Sincerely,
• Thank you,

For casual email closing • Best wishes,

• Cheers,
For a more formal email • Yours sincerely
closing • Yours faithfully,
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Avoid using URGENT and
IMPORTANT:
Add disclaimers to your
emails: This can help
protect your company
from liability.
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3. Ten Types of Social Media
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3.1. Social audio platforms and Twitter Spaces) have thrived during
formats COVID-19 lockdowns while people
Examples: Clubhouse, Twitter have been at home with more time
Spaces, Spotify to join live conversations.
Used for: Listening to live
conversations on specific topics.
How your business can use them:
New social audio platforms (like
Clubhouse) and formats (like
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3. 2. Video social media platforms great for capturing attention,
and formats driving brand awareness, and
Examples: YouTube, TikTok, bringing products to life in a way
Instagram Stories and Reels, that still photos can’t.
Facebook Watch
Used for: Watching videos in short
and long formats.
How your business can use them:
Video social media platforms are
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3.3. Disappearing content formats How your business can use them:
Examples: Snapchat, Instagram Ephemeral formats like Stories are
Stories, Facebook Stories, LinkedIn well-suited for posting timely
Stories content, such as announcements,
Used for: Sending ephemeral limited edition items, or live events.
messages privately and publishing
timely, in-the-moment content for
all of your followers to view for up
to 24 hours.
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3.4. Discussion forums business’ subject matter expertise
Examples: Reddit, Quora and answering questions related to
your industry. Bonus points if you
Used for: Asking and answering can share information about your
questions, networking, forming brand and products in your
communities around niche- and answers, but that shouldn’t be your
interest-based topics. primary goal of participating in
How your business can use them: discussion forums.
Be genuinely helpful to your
customers by lending your
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3.5. Shoppable social media How your business can use them:
platforms and features Take advantage of built-in mobile-
Examples: Pinterest Product Pins, friendly features to allow your
Facebook Shops, Instagram Shops, audience to purchase from you
TikTok, Shopify, Douyin, Taobao without having to leave a social
Used for: Researching and media app.
purchasing products from brands
directly through social media
platforms.
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3.6. Social media live streams
• Examples: Twitch, YouTube, How your business can use them:
Instagram Live Rooms, Facebook Livestreaming’s popularity
Live, TikTok exploded during the pandemic
Used for: Broadcasting live video to when people were stuck at home
many viewers. Live video streams during lockdowns with nothing to
can range from one person do.
showing themselves and what
they’re doing on their screen to
professionally organized panels
with multiple speakers.
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3.7. Business social media recruiting and hiring talent,
platforms building B2B relationships, and
Examples: LinkedIn, Twitter connecting with professionals in
your niche.
Used for: Connecting with
professionals in your industry or
potential clients.
How your business can use them:
Business social media platforms
offer many potential uses:
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3.8. Closed/private community How your business can use them:
social media platforms Businesses can use private groups
Examples: Discourse, Slack, to bring members of their
Facebook Groups community together to bond over
Used for: Creating communities, shared challenges, help answer
with the possibility of requiring each other’s questions, and feel a
registration or other screening sense of professional belonging.
measures for new members.
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3.9. Inspirational social media • How your business can use them:
platforms • Curate visuals and inspire your
• Examples: Pinterest, YouTube, target audience with content
Instagram, blogs tailored to their preferences, and
• Used for: Searching for weave in your own products
information and finding where relevant. Use collections,
inspiration for anything from playlists, tags, and guides to
cooking to travel to decorating to group your content and create
shopping and more. themes that match your
audience’s interests.
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Social Media Etiquette: 10 Rules to
Follow
• DON’T BADMOUTH ANYONE
• RESPECT THE OPINIONS OF OTHER
NETIZENS
• ALWAYS KEEP YOUR AUDIENCE IN
MIND
• KNOW WHEN TO AND WHEN NOT
TO TAG PHOTOS
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• MONITOR THE FREQUENCY OF
YOUR POSTS
• BUILD A REPUTABLE IMAGE
• GIVE DUE CREDIT TO YOUR
SOURCES
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• DON’T SPREAD FAKE NEWS
• SAY NO TO CYBERBULLYING
• VALUE PRIVACY