{"id":43636,"date":"2020-07-01T16:16:47","date_gmt":"2020-07-01T16:16:47","guid":{"rendered":"\/us\/en\/blog\/?p=43636"},"modified":"2025-03-13T06:25:53","modified_gmt":"2025-03-13T13:25:53","slug":"benefits-of-using-im-in-business-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/us\/en\/blog\/benefits-of-using-im-in-business-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"Using instant messaging (IM) for business: 3 benefits &#038; risks"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re running a small business, you might wonder if instant messaging is really necessary for your company. After all, it\u2019s not like instant messaging is without risks, and you already use email. Why add something else to the mix?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, as a company that helps businesses communicate with both teammates and customers better every day, we know the importance of keeping your team connected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why, today, we&#8217;ll run through not only the benefits of business instant messaging, but also the drawbacks. With the right information, you can make an informed decision about what\u2019s going to work for your business. (And, if you decide a business chat app is right for you, we\u2019ll give you some bonus tips to implement it the right way, too.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#benefits\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The benefits of instant messaging in the workplace<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#risks\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The risks of instant messaging in the workplace (and how to overcome them)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ready to decide if instant messaging is really better than email for your small business? Let\u2019s jump right in.<\/span><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Shopping for a team messaging tool? (Or just curious about what to look for?) Grab the free checklist to help you choose the right one for your team or business.<\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-widget standart-download-form\" data-url=\"https:\/\/netstorage.ringcentral.com\/documents\/team_messaging_platform_checklist.pdf\" data-id=\"6a08e10f30155\" id=\"6a08e10f30155\">\n\t\t<button tabindex=\"on\"  on=\"tap:6a08e10f30155.toggleClass(class='open')\" class=\"open-modal-download-action download-form-button\" type=\"submit\">\ud83c\udf1f Get it now<\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-body\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-content\">\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-title\">See what you need to do (and know) as you're deciding on a team messaging app with this checklist!<\/div>\n<form class=\"download-form SMB\" method=\"post\">\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Full Name\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"text\" name=\"fullname\" placeholder=\"Full Name\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"text\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input class=\"download-form-input\" aria-label=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" type=\"email\" autocomplete=\"on\" name=\"email\" placeholder=\"Email (please enter a work email address)\" data-dl-events-hover=\"true\" data-dl-element=\"email\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"popup_form\" value=\"1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Asset_ID__c\" value=\"ODAM-01511\" class=\"download-form-input\"><\/div>\n<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"Lead_Entry_Source__c\" value=\"RC Blog\" class=\"download-form-input\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-part\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"download-form-submit\" type=\"submit\" data-dl-element=\"button\" data-no-auto-dl=\"true\" data-dl-additional-info=\"download form\" data-dl-name=\"Get it now\">Get it now<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<button on=\"tap:6a08e10f30155.toggleClass(class='open')\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\"  class=\"download-form-modal-close\"><\/button>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"download-form-modal-thank\">Happy shopping! <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"benefits\"><\/a><br \/>\nThe benefits of instant messaging in the workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. It increases camaraderie and connection among employees<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the top benefits of instant messaging? It gives a space for those more informal connections that normally happen at a lunch table or around a water cooler.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether you have an office space or you\u2019re <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fully remote<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it\u2019s becoming easier than ever to spend all day sitting in silence at a computer screen without these casual off-the-cuff conversations to give you a break from work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While informal chatting might not seem like a crucial business function, those are the kinds of connection-building conversations that help all team members to build <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">better work relationships<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That means a simple chat could be partially responsible for increasing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/keep-remote-employees-engaged\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">employee engagement<\/a>\u2014and decreasing expensive turnover.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, it can be a forum that\u2019s a little more comfortable for newer or more introverted team members to chime in and feel included in the conversation, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/remote-readiness\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-45676\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Banner-Image-for-Blog-Promo.png\" alt=\"Remote Readiness CTA\" width=\"695\" height=\"247\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. It helps you resolve questions quickly<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chat isn\u2019t just used for informal conversations, of course. In fact, it\u2019s a great way to get a quick question answered or gather input from the team without a ton of back-and-forth emails.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, when employees do pose a quick question to their department chat or a small group working on a project, they\u2019re able to get a response from higher-level employees, who they might not feel comfortable emailing or approaching in-person directly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instant messaging can, in a sense, level the (usually) hierarchical playing field when it comes to communications\u2014in addition to helping you get the right answer, right away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Chat can also be a useful business tool when you&#8217;re on a sales or support call and need to get a certain piece of information quickly. Instead of putting your prospect or customer on hold to ask, you can quickly ping your teammates and get answers, which makes for a smoother call experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. It makes your team more efficient<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instant messaging can also be a great time saver for your company, because it\u2019s just that\u2014<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">instant<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speed is one of the top advantages of instant messaging over email, since most people aren\u2019t checking their inboxes constantly all day, but are pretty available via chat to answer quick questions or even send a file quickly:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43590\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/file-sharing-integrations-with-dropbox-and-box.gif\" alt=\"file sharing in an instant message\" width=\"800\" height=\"699\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Instant messaging is the perfect option for more <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/efficiency-vs-effectiveness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">efficient conversations.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t just create efficiency in the moment, though. By creating a record that can be referred to and searched through later, instant messaging for business makes for more efficiency later, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of having to ask the same question again, employees can just search back through their chats to find the information they need:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-43637\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Search-through-team-chat-1024x601.png\" alt=\"searching through instant messaging history on RingCentral's app\" width=\"1024\" height=\"601\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plus, when one employee asks a question in a group chat, it becomes a learning opportunity for other members of the team, too, decreasing time spent answering the same question later.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And in fact, IM has been found to actually improve our productivity at work. A survey conducted by<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Software Advice<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> found that 21% of employees who used IM had a moderate or significant increase in their productivity.<sup>1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"risks\"><\/a><br \/>\nThe risks of instant messaging in the workplace<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And yet, it seems like for every think piece that celebrates the benefits of using IM in business communication, there&#8217;s another that claims<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> IM has ruined work<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<sup>2 <\/sup>Why is that? Well, the <i>Harvard Business Review<\/i> offers a sensible explanation: \u201cWe\u2019re still figuring out how to properly, and professionally, communicate via IM.\u201d<sup>3<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, we leaned on the expertise of Dr. Stephanie L. Dailey, an associate professor of communication studies at Texas State University and an expert in enterprise social media and personal social media for work. She shared five tips to help you build an IM strategy that empowers everyone to get their work done.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. It&#8217;s potentially distracting<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A lot of companies worry that informal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-tools\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">communications platforms<\/a> like instant messaging will distract employees and make them less productive.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s true, instant messaging does have the potential to be distracting\u2014but so do calls or even coworkers asking a question in person. That informal connection will mostly be a benefit to your company\u2014after all, if you\u2019re too focused on productivity over camaraderie, your employees won\u2019t be happy or feel connected to their work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, you can encourage your team to create healthy boundaries with your instant messaging platform, much like they would with any potential distraction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That might mean turning off notifications for chats that aren\u2019t critical for them. They could even close the platform for an hour or two when they need to really focus on completing a project. For example, in RingCentral&#8217;s messaging platform, you can set your status to available, busy, or even invisible:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-38319\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/kid-5161-google-campaign-google-editions-general-availability-blog-post.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"400\" \/> <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-43638\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/status-in-ringcentral-app.png\" alt=\"status in ringcentral instant messaging app\" width=\"782\" height=\"363\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on the platform you use, they may be able to set an away message or just ping the team before logging off to let everyone know they\u2019re unavailable and when they will be back.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solution: create a healthy culture around instant messaging<\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want your team to get the most benefits and minimize risks with instant messaging, it\u2019s important to be intentional about creating a healthy culture around chat usage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For instance, you might want to develop guidelines about appropriate hours for chats, how to show team members that you\u2019re online or unavailable, what kind of content is appropriate, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s no need to be super tough about any of these rules, but by creating a general guideline, you help avoid employees feeling tethered to their chat app, or that they can\u2019t relax and be themselves.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to establish a healthy culture around instant messaging is to model it. Work with managers to lead by example, creating a healthy balance of informal and professional chats and ensuring nobody is stressed out about always replying right away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your chat should enhance connection and collaboration, not make your team feel like they&#8217;re being monitored or chained to their desks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/remote-work-playbook.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42323\" src=\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/remote-work-playbook.png\" alt=\"remote-work-playbook\" width=\"1024\" height=\"364\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Tip from Dr. Dailey: Define IM standards for your team<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">IM is a personal communication channel that\u2019s been adapted for work, much like<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the way work email started<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with us using personal AOL and Hotmail accounts. That means you and your team likely have pre-existing ideas on the right and wrong ways to use IM.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe wrong attitude is to think that everyone\u2019s using [IM] the same way that you are,\u201d Dr. Dailey says. For instance, you may be a rapid-fire texter who responds quickly and expects the same courtesy in return. Your colleague, though, may batch responses a few times per day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe wrong attitude is to think that everyone\u2019s using [IM] the same way that you are.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These preferences can become so deeply ingrained, too, that we develop a deeper relationship with our screens than the person we\u2019re talking to. That physical and emotional distance can lead us to use IM in a task-oriented way instead of a relational way.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c[Something] unique to mediated communication is that people have a greater likelihood of depersonalizing. That means treating people as things and not humans, and that\u2019s more common in interactions online because we\u2019re not seeing that person,\u201d Dr. Dailey says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To find the IM standards that fit your culture, keep the dialogue open in team meetings and one-on-ones. Identify the problems that consistently come up and test solutions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, some common issues you might encounter with IM include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Problem:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Team members feel distracted by getting so many messages so often.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Define windows when team members can go dark for deep work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Problem:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Team members find it unclear who\u2019s available when.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Solution:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Set core hours when everyone must be available for messaging.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Problem:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Team members can\u2019t disconnect because of late and early messages.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Solution: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Clarify what hours notifications should be turned off for peace of mind.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you establish these IM standards, emphasize them as part of your internal communication strategy during<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> employee onboarding<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. That way, new hires grasp the subtleties of your team\u2019s communication faster.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. It can feel cold or impersonal compared to face-to-face communication\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While instant messaging has the potential to increase camaraderie and connection among employees, if it\u2019s the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">only<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> way you communicate with your coworkers, it can start to feel a bit cold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is particularly a concern among businesses that work remotely, but even in an office, employees can come to use instant messaging almost exclusively for the convenience, which can feel isolating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Combat this feeling among employees by diversifying communications, being sure to include voice or <a class=\"waffle-rich-text-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/video-call.html\">video calls<\/a> so that each team member has a chance to feel connected. Just hearing the cadence of someone\u2019s voice or seeing their face briefly can help create that personal connection that chat sometimes lacks.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>Tip from Dr. Dailey: Create immediacy by focusing on the personal connection<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Treating every instant message as a moment of interaction, rather than just a transactional exchange of information, is one of the best ways to organically create a sense of urgency over IM. Dr. Dailey recommends<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> nonverbal <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">immediacy<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for this.<sup>4<\/sup><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA little bit of nonverbal immediacy goes a really long way. And there [are] ways that you can be nonverbally immediate very briefly,\u201d Dr. Dailey says. \u201cWhen you have nonverbal immediacy, you just feel like you\u2019re liked and that you\u2019re acknowledged as a person.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By nonverbal immediacy, Dr. Dailey means using nonverbal cues that signal warmth and engagement. Just like our<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/body-language-video-call\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">body language on a video call<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> helps others understand what we mean, the nonverbal cues available on IM also help our intent get across.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Use the person\u2019s name.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Like Dale Carnegie, author of <em>How to Win Friends and Influence People<\/em>,<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">once said<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: \u201cA person\u2019s name is to that person, the sweetest, most important sound in any language.\u201d Type the person\u2019s name out in a direct message. In group channels, use @ mentions to direct someone toward an important piece of information.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Send a GIF.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The right GIF at the right time puts a positive tone over your IM exchange.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pepper in emojis<\/b>. Emojis clarify the tone of voice for your messaging. Since instant messages are often short and fast, adding an emoji helps a message from being taken the wrong way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quick note about GIFs and emojis: Make sure they\u2019re something your workplace culture accepts. If you\u2019re unsure, then default to more traditional social cues, like opening your message with a quick icebreaker.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Classic intros, like asking about someone\u2019s weekend or how their day is going, are solid options. Even better, continue an existing narrative that shows a personal connection, like \u201cHow\u2019s the puppy doing?\u201d or \u201cHow\u2019s the kitchen remodel coming along?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4>The other solution: don\u2019t rely on instant messaging exclusively<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instant messaging is a great tool for business communication, obviously, but shouldn\u2019t be the only option when your team needs to connect.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes, questions are too complicated to explain over a chat, or you just want to see someone else\u2019s face to restore that human connection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choose a platform that offers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/communication-channels\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">different communication channels<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in one place, like\u00a0RingCentral:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation\" title=\"RingCentral app for Desktop: Message. Video. Phone.\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EbIAZJd9rCU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen sandbox=\"allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-presentation\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That way, if someone asks a question that really requires a more in-depth answer, you can just hop on a video call, share your screen, and get the issue cleared up without the back-and-forth.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. You can&#8217;t be sure of when you&#8217;re going to get a reply<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When your coworker probably has a barrage of unread messages waiting to be read, how can you make it more likely that they&#8217;ll respond to your super-urgent-need-a-response-ASAP message first?<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s not like you can add a special flashing light or notification to your messages, right?<\/p>\n<h4>Tip from Dr. Dailey: Make a habit of clarifying the urgency of your instant message<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remote work and distributed teams rely on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/asynchronous-communication\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">asynchronous communication<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to stay productive. That is, sender and receiver aren\u2019t synchronized as they are on a telephone call. This means remote team members can communicate without interrupting each other.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But IM has a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to asynchronous communication.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As<\/span> <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Harvard Business Review<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> points out, you might send a low-priority instant message that doesn\u2019t need a quick response.<sup>5<\/sup> But if you don\u2019t clarify that, the recipient may feel an urgency that isn\u2019t there. They may feel obligated to respond at the cost of their own time, a scenario asynchronous communication is supposed to save us from.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why you need to clarify the urgency of your instant message. It gives colleagues the context they need to self-manage their time and better prioritize tasks. To do this, simply use short phrases that state when you need a response.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cNo rush on this. I wanted to circle back about shadowing some strategy meetings.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe need that data by EOD. Presentation is tomorrow morning.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cCan you approve this quote by noon? Press deadline is 1 p.m.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This way, you&#8217;re being considerate of your teammates&#8217; time\u2014and they know that you don&#8217;t expect an instant response to every single message, which makes it more likely that when you\u00a0<em>do\u00a0<\/em>have an urgent question, they&#8217;ll actually take it seriously.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. It can be tempting to clutter up the thread with one-liners or context-less messages<\/span><\/h3>\n<p>With email, generally you have to be a little more mindful to include all the information needed and all the questions that need to be asked in one message. And even then, our inboxes get really cluttered.<\/p>\n<p>Now imagine how bad it can get with instant messaging which, like texting, gives us the freedom to send short messages whenever we feel like. (How many times have we gotten a one-line &#8220;Lol&#8221; or &#8220;Ok&#8221; response that didn&#8217;t need to be sent at all?<\/p>\n<p>Doing this one in a while is alright, but if we&#8217;re not careful, it can dilute our communications and make IMing less productive for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>So how can we solve that?<\/p>\n<h4>Tip from Dr. Dailey: Organize what you want to say first<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The immediacy of IM makes it tempting to narrate our thoughts as we go. IM is a short-form medium, though. Long messages don\u2019t just get overwhelming quickly, but they also bury the important parts of our message.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To prevent this, take a moment to organize what you want to say over IM. Here are three simple tips to help you hone your instant message:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Start with the end in mind.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Also known as<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the second habit of highly effective people<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<sup>6<\/sup> this approach makes you define exactly what you need from the other person. Knowing that will make you much more economical with your words.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Use the one message, one subject rule.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The simpler and clearer you are, the more you<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make your message actionable<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It\u2019s much easier for your recipient to take action on one thing than two.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Tag the right people.<\/b> One of the top communication mistakes of remote teams is tagging too many people.<sup>7<\/sup> Tag only who needs to know, and no one else. You\u2019ll build credibility with teammates and prevent adding to your team\u2019s notification fatigue.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Is instant messaging right for your business?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019ve come around to the importance of instant messaging for your business, one thing is clear: the right platform makes all the difference. It\u2019s crucial that you select a platform that prioritizes information security and that gives your team the flexibility to chat, video call, or share screens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instant messaging alone may not revolutionize your business, but it can help a lot if you\u2019re looking to create a collaborative environment. Imagine a business where everyone feels connected and works efficiently together\u2014with the right instant messaging platform, you can make it happen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><sup>1<\/sup>softwareadvice.com\/resources\/boost-productivity-chat-presence<\/p>\n<p><sup>2<\/sup>wired.co.uk\/article\/slack-ruining-work<\/p>\n<p><sup>3, 5<\/sup>hbr.org\/2020\/03\/best-practices-for-instant-messaging-at-work<\/p>\n<p><sup>4<\/sup>openpsychometrics.org\/tests\/NIS\/<\/p>\n<p><sup>6<\/sup>franklincovey.com\/the-7-habits\/habit-2.html<\/p>\n<p><sup>7<\/sup>blog.trello.com\/communication-mistakes-remote-team<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019re running a small business, you might wonder if instant messaging is really necessary for your company. After all, it\u2019s not like instant messaging is without risks, and you already use email. Why add something else to the mix?\u00a0 Well, as a company that helps businesses communicate with both teammates and customers better every &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":43642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17901],"tags":[12429,4288,9977],"class_list":["post-43636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-leadership","tag-im","tag-instant-messaging","tag-instant-messaging-for-business"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.3 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Using instant messaging (IM) for business: 3 benefits &amp; risks | RingCentral Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn about instant messaging (aka team messaging), why it&#039;s useful to be able to communicate in real-time communication, and the disadvantages.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ringcentral.com\/us\/en\/blog\/benefits-of-using-im-in-business-communication\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Using instant messaging (IM) for business: 3 benefits &amp; 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