10 Instant Messaging Secrets for Business Success
Instant Messaging Secrets for Business Success
Here's the scene: a few dozen employees of a large advertising agency are quietly typing away on screens side by side in an open room with no office walls or partitions.
An occasional laugh interrupts the silence. But no one speaks. They communicate with each other almost exclusively via instant messaging (IM).
"When I visit this company, I can't help but notice this [the lack of conversation]. To an outsider, it seems strange, but it's pretty much the corporate culture now," says Helen Chan, an analyst with The Yankee Group, a U.S. technology research group that has friends at the agency.
A technology originally intended for one-on-one personal chats has now reached the workplace. Many business people prefer text-based instant messaging to phone calls and email. They prefer the immediacy and efficiency of receiving real-time information from partners, suppliers, and colleagues working remotely. Instant messaging is a text-based communication method that allows users to send messages to each other in real time. In businesses large and small, more and more people are using this medium to communicate. For many, it serves as a fallback option for e-mail problems and other emergencies — just think of the surge in usage after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The Wall Street Journal notes that more than 100 million people now send instant messages. In a report titled "IM: The Sleeping Giant," the technology consulting firm Gartner Group predicts that instant messaging will replace email as the primary means of online communication by 2005.
Still, IM will be of greater use to businesses working in teams or on projects than to many retailers, freelancers, and others. That's because IM improves collaboration but is not conducive to building new relationships. However, apart from the time and cost-saving opportunities, there are also risks and drawbacks to using it.
Instant Messaging Secrets for Business Success
Whether you're a business person an avid IM user or both, here are 10 pieces of advice for and against instant messaging.
2. Do not use instant messaging to communicate confidential or sensitive information. This includes information such as financial data, customer or employee personally identifiable information (PII), trade secrets, and legal advice. If you need to communicate this type of information, it is best to do so through a more secure channel, such as email or a secure messaging app.
Organize your contact lists to separate business contacts from personal contacts. This will help to prevent you from accidentally sending confidential information to the wrong person. You can also use labels or tags to further categorize your contacts.
3. Do use a secure instant messaging app if you need to communicate confidential information. There are several secure instant messaging apps available, such as Signal and WhatsApp. Apps that use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) protect your messages from being read by anyone other than the sender and recipient.
4. Don't allow excessive personal messaging at work. Yes, I make personal phone calls at work and send personal emails. I also allow my employees to do the same. However, I encourage them to limit their personal use of technology during work hours, and I do the same myself. For instant messaging go even further. Urge that personal chats be done during breaks or the lunch hour — or that the chats generate new customers or revenue for the business.
5. Do be aware that instant messages can be saved. Instant messaging (IM) can be a tempting way to let your guard down. You may feel more comfortable making bold statements or criticizing others, knowing that your words can be quickly deleted. However, it is important to remember that IM conversations are still records, and they can be saved or shared by others. What you aren't realizing is that one of the parties to your conversation can copy and paste the entire chat onto a notepad or Word document. Some IM services allow you to archive entire messages. Be careful what you say, just like you would in an email.
6. Be mindful of your company's liability and your reputation. The courts are still determining the legal implications of instant messaging, such as libel, defamation, and other considerations. Likely, any statements you make about other people, your company, or other companies will not land you in court. However, they could harm your reputation or credibility. Be careful what you say.
7. Be aware of virus infections and other security risks. Most IM services allow you to transfer files with your messages. Alexis D. Gutzman, an author and business consultant, discovered in her recent research for a book that IM file attachments containing viruses can more easily penetrate firewalls than email attachments. "Instant messages [carrying viruses] will run and dip into a firewall until they find an opening," she says. It is advisable to learn more about the quality of your firewall protection to decide whether or not to restrict file transfers through IM.
8. Do not share personal data or information through IM. Even if you trust the person or people you are messaging, it is not a good idea to include personal information that you would rather keep confidential, such as a phone number. This is because the text of your chat is relayed through a server before it reaches your contact. "If anyone is on the connection and can see that traffic, they can see the personal information," says Chris Mitchell, lead program manager with MSN Messenger. It is better to send such information through an encrypted email or not at all.
9. Do keep your instant messages simple and to the point, and know when to say goodbye. There is no one right way to use IM. Kneko Burney, director of business research at Cahners In-Stat Group, prefers to use it simply to see if a colleague is at their desk and available for an in-person or phone call. Gutzman sees instant messaging (IM) as a tool for quick research and fast information retrieval. He compares it to "peeking into someone's office" because it provides a real-time view of their work. She recently used IM in researching a book, saving entire messages in her archives. However, both agree that you should limit your inquiry, get to the point right away, and avoid unnecessary chatter. "With instant messaging, you don't need a lot of pleasantries," Gutzman says. "I can pretty much say, 'How are you?"And then I can answer your question."
10. Avoid confusing your contacts with a misleading username or status. Instant messaging (IM) usernames, like email usernames, should be consistent throughout your company. Additionally, users should update their status throughout the day to let their contacts know if they are available to receive messages.