Now more than ever before, we’re communicating digitally. Often, it can be difficult to pick up on our colleagues’ body language or social cues through a screen.
So how do we resolve these challenges?
Through;
- Valuing others visibly
- Communicating carefully
- Collaborating competently
- Trust
With these 4 points in mind, they will allow us to continue to show that level of trust and connection, regardless of channel.
Communicating in person has a huge number of benefits because we can vary our tone, facial expression and body language. But digital communication is slightly different.
For example, a message with no emojis can be interpreted differently by people with different personalities. Agree 
And that’s the problem with digital communication.
It’s the interpretation aspect of the message. Many people use their own personalities to assume a deeper meaning behind the message. Which may or may not be true.
It’s the difference between:
Haha (open to interpretation)
Haha 
(it’s actually funny)
Haha 
(sarcasm)
See the difference with different emojis?
How many times have you seen people putting an exclamation mark in an email, using capital letters or mentioning per my last email? And the question that is often asked is - How do we read a digital room?
Almost 60%-80% of communication is through body language. Body language in the digital world is through emojis/digital messages, but how do we “translate” these messages?
When we're in-person we can show engagement, excitement, urgency and build trust with open palms, uncrossed arms and legs, smiles, nods, direct eye contact, using different tones in our voices, expressing ourselves physically by jumping up and down and making exaggerated gestures.
But through digital communication we can build trust by using language that is direct with clear subject lines, end emails with a friendly gesture and mirroring the sender’s style of written content.
We can also show we’re engaged with timely responses to messages, answering all questions and show urgency using caps paired with direct language or sentences that end with multiple exclamation marks.
But does digital communication beat opting for an in person meeting or even a phone call these days?
Here at G2 Legal we love meeting with you and there’s no better feeling than picking up the phone and having a conversation, but what are your thoughts?
For further information, confidential advice, or a chat about the market and opportunities available to you, please feel free to get in touch with the team at G2 Legal.
0131 278 0000
scotland@g2legal.com
