TEAM COMMUNICATION
Messaging Guidelines
Business communication is the lifeblood of business success. How we conduct our communications reflects just as much on business reputation as any work or services produced.
This page introduces our core foundation and accompanying frameworks.
Example message
Some message templates or 'canned responses' will already be stored in the communication medium of choice.
Ai can also be helpful for generating new replies but these should reflect the agency tone.
Below is an example of an email that incorporates the guidelines explained on this page.
Example email
The simple email incorporates the principles on this page. The principles are summarised in the dropdown below but it is still recommended to read the full information on this page.
Hi Matt, (M.A.P.S principle: Manners: » M2: Personalisation)
It's good to hear you had a refreshing break.
- M.A.P.S principle: Manners: » M1: Politeness / M3: Positivity
It's good to hear you had a refreshing break. To keep on track with our project I'd like to focus in our current task looking at your work locations for the online booking system.
- M.A.P.S principle: Professionalism: » P1: Staying on purpose
- P1.1: Close the loop (in this example the client had mentioned going on a break)
- P1.3: Redirect the conversation gently
📍'M.A.P.S' - Our foundation
These foundational principles are focused on the way we communicate in any given situation. Further details are discussed in the accompanying frameworks on this page, which all sit under this M.A.P.S foundation.
MANNERS
Communicating face to face, and to a certain extent video and voice messages, gives important cues regarding our tone and feelings. In typed communications which lack these cues, our words become the only metric which can give indicate our tone and feelings.
This means we have to go above a 'neutral tone' or a message focusing on brevity - we have to be extra polite. This ensures our messages do not come across as cold, demanding or even disrespectful. Our messages should have the tone of requests, not demands. We view our clients as on the same team as us, working towards a shared goal.
Why manners are important in business communications:
- Tone is always important but more of a challenge when messaging. Messages lack vocal cues, facial expressions, and body language, making it easier to sound abrupt or even rude, unintentionally.
- Messages are a long term record: Messages can be stored for long periods of time, so impolite messages can create a long term negative record and downgrade the reputation of a business. Our aim is to create a long term record of polite messages giving a positive track record of our communications.
- De-escalation: People are more inclined to misinterpret intent or feel slighted in typed messages. This can potentially leading to unnecessary conflict or damaged rapport. Well mannered messages deescalate conflict. This is covered more in the Professionalism topic.
- Professionalism spotlight: Polite language signals respect and competence, which are foundational to trust and effective business collaboration.
In the majority of messages the recipients name should be used once. This can be used in the initial 'Hi Jamie', or at the close of a sentence i.e 'Thanks for the update Jamie'.
Our manners have to remain consistent even if we feel annoyed by a client missing a deadline or not turning up to a meeting. By focusing on the way forward we can maintain positivity in our messages. Any serious issues must be resolved in person or on a phone/video call, not via escalating emails.
In summary these are ingredients of manners that should be included in messaging:
- M1: Politeness and formalities such as 'please', 'thank you' and requests 'Could you' rather than 'I need'. Manners are even more essential in messaging than in person. In most cases it's best not to make strong statements about a situation, instead use milder variations.
- ❌ Rather than: 'You haven't sent me the file I needed',
- ✅ Use 'I don't think/believe/seem to have received the audit file for the migration project.' (This example also mentions the specific file which related to the point within ⟴ Professional section - P1: Purpose)
- M2: Personalisation ensures the recipient feels they are being addressed as an individual. In most cases the recipient's name should be included once in a message.
- M3: Positivity. Our messaging should default to positivity. Rather than highlight shortcomings of a client's incorrect action (or inaction) we are looking to move things forward. This helps foster a collaborative vibe with the client. Serious issues are resolved in person or via phone or video calls, not emails.
- This also covered in the next section on Professionalism and the Triple 🇦 : elements Advise & Action.
Below are examples of good and bad communications with key parts in italics.
✉️ Manners Example 1 (Ref: ME1): Request message (Agency to clients)
✅ Good example:
“Hi Jamie,
Hope you are keeping well. Could you please send me the outstanding content for our project by Wednesday?
Let me know if you need any extra details from my end. Thank you.”
❌ Bad example:
“Hi, I'll need that the report by Wednesday.”
✉️ Manners Example 2 (Ref: ME2): Follow-up (Agency to client)
✅ Good example:
“Hi Jamie,
I'm circling back on my previous email. When you have a moment, I’d appreciate your thoughts. Let me know if you need any extra details from my end. Thank you.”
❌ Bad example:
“Hi, did you see my last email? I'll need a reply as soon as possible.”
✉️ Manners Example 3 (Ref: ME3) Complaint response (Agency to client)
Whether the 'complaint is justified or not, the manners aspect is unchanged. Below are example of how to respond to a client compliant. These examples also incorporate the the T=
✅ Good example #1 (Compliant justified)
“Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your sharp attention on the project, I acknowledge that omission you've detailed. I'll get on to that as soon as possible and let you know when it's addressed.
✅ Good example #2 (Compliant unjustified)
“Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your sharp attention on the project. I've checked our agreement (insert link) and (insert work) isn't explicitly covered. If there's a misunderstanding here I'm sure we can chat to clear things up and move forward. Are you free tomorrow at 4pm for a quick ZOOM chat?
❌ Bad example:
“Hi, you are mistaken, that wasn't in our original agreement. Have a look at the orginial agreement and you'll see what I mean in Section 2.1.
Example ME3 above also incorporates the Triple 🇦 framework.
ACCURACY
Services, prices, documentation and tools will change over time. Accuracy is paramount to maintaining client confidence.
Accuracy best practices:
- A1: Check the latest information before replying. Depending on the situation, this may involve:
- Client site: Checking the documentation on this site, including the legal documentation.
- Project Management system - public or private tasks, notes and comments (see next section on Professionalism which includes guidance on privacy)
- Signed documentation
- A2: Monitor and retrain Ai if necessary.
- This is especially important after new content is added or existing content updated, including legal updates.
- A3: Link, don't lecture (preferably to Digiful webpages).
- Rather than send excessively long messages, it is often advisable to link to additional information.
- See the next section on Professionalism which includes guidance on 'punchy' messaging.
- It is always preferable to link to the web pages on this Digiful client site (especially the legal pages) or the Digiful public site. The reason for this is that external sites may change or even remove content over time, whereas the Digiful pages are carefully maintained. However, it is not possible to store all potentially requested information on the Digiful site so at times we may need to link to external sites.
- The next section on Professionalism which includes pointers that relate to this topic including:
- Guidance on 'protection' when it comes to protecting the reputation of the agency when deciding which sources to share. (🛡P5: Protection)
- Adding links adds to 'Punchy', concise emails which prevent needless follow-up emails asking for links. (👊 P6: Punchy)
PROFESSIONALISM
This sub section is the most comprehensive, expanding on the core foundational M.A.P.S elements with additional considerations to create the final output of our messages.
In correspondence with clients, we walk a delicate line between staying on our business purposes whilst acknowledging events and circumstances in our clients lives.
Whilst we don't want to ignore non business topics, we must guard against becoming distracted by them. We can do this by acknowledging them with 'closed statements', rather than questions which invite responses on the unrelated topics, which can create 'open loops'.
Below are some situations where this could come into play.
The purpose aspect of Professionalism covers:
- P1.1: Acknowledge client's 'off purpose' remarks in one or two sentences to 'close the loop'.
- P1.2: Limit empathising statements in messages, be more generous in in video calls or face to face meetings.
- P1.3: Redirect the conversation gently back onto business and the way forward.
- P1.4: Using 'complete context sentences' so each email can stand in it's own 'Context Window'.
Below are some examples to help illustrated the points.
"Thank you for your message. The project timeline remains unchanged, and we expect deadlines to be met. Please let me know how you plan to proceed."
"I’m really sorry to hear about your pet. Losing a furry friend can be incredibly painful and takes time to process. It’s essential to grieve such a significant loss.
I remember when I lost a bet and I wanted to take a week off work to process.
We'll talk about the project when you feel ready, don't worry about it for now.
"I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your pet. I understand that this is a difficult time for you, and I want to extend my condolences. At the same time, we need to discuss how we can keep our Web Migration 003 project moving forward. Let's find a way to adjust our timeline or redistribute the workload to help you through this situation while ensuring we meet our project goals. Please let me know how you would like to proceed."
We need to inform you that due to a serious health situation impacting our team, we must rearrange the project deadlines. While we understand the importance of timelines, the health and well-being of our team is more important than any work and this is our priority at this moment. We hope you can exercise some patience as we would if you were in this situation. We'll update you when we can.
"We hope this message finds you well. We're reaching out to inform you that one of our key team members has been diagnosed with a serious health condition that requires immediate attention and significant time away from work. This situation has understandably affected our workflow, and we are currently working through the implications it has on various projects.
It’s a very complex issue as we navigate treatments and support for our colleague, which is taking precedence right now. We appreciate your understanding during this time. As we sort through these challenges, we will keep you updated, but please bear with us as we determine necessary adjustments to our project timeline."
We want to inform you that we are experiencing a health situation within our agency that will require us to rearrange our Web Migration 003 project deadlines. While we pay attention to the well-being of our team, we also aim to minimise the impact on the work we have committed with you. We are currently reviewing the project timeline and will provide you with a revised schedule shortly. Thank you for your understanding as we navigate this situation."
Using 'context windows' may not need to be done 100% of the time, but there are times when it is essential such as with pricing and deadlines. For example:
- ❌ The price is £35 per month for that plan.
- ✅ The current price for our Pro Web & Marketing plan is £35 per month.
- The latter statement means the message has a precise 'context window' - it could be taken out of a chain of messages and still be accurate.
The purpose aspect of Professionalism links to:
The presentation of business messages, regardless of the medium should lean closer to a printed business letter rather than an emoji filled Tik Tok post.
Emoj's should rarely be used in business messaging, unless they illustrate inanimate topics. Below are examples of such emoj's:
- 🗓️ Meeting dates
- ✅ ☑️ ⏳ ❌ Task or Project status
- 💳 Payment
- 📊 📝 ▶️ Types of work (Analysis, Documents, Video)
This list is not exhaustive, but shows that emoj's can be used to communicate business matters, rather than emotions.
Beyond a simple text based : ) sign emotions are not generally part of our business messaging.
Available font and colour options will vary according to the various according to the platform but generally includes:
- ◾ Font colour should generally default to black, unless there is a need for special emphasis.
- 🖋️ Use easily readable web-safe fonts like Arial or the Google Font Lato with standard font size (10pt or 12pt)
The Digiful brand page provides a reference on fonts, colours and downloads (🔐 login required).
Additionally our business email signature should include:
- 👤 Full name
- 🪪 Job title
- 🏢 Company name
- 📱 Company phone number
- ✉️ Email address
- 🌐 Website
For other messaging platforms this may be reduced to:
- 👤 Full name
- 🪪 Job title
In summary the presentation aspect of Professionalism covers:
- P2.1: Easily read font families, colours and sizes - see the brand page for more details and downloads.
- P2.2: Appropriate sign off, whether this is a full email signature or name and job title for WhatsApp and social media.
- P2.3: Emoj's are rarely used.
Privacy and discretion (or 'confidentiality' in our legal agreements) means taking due care before discussing software, financial or project details not directly related to the client.
There are 3 main areas in which this comes into play. These areas should be taken into consideration before composing or responding to messages in any form.
- P3.1: Safeguarding of all security logins and data. This covers logins and data of both the Agency and also Client accounts which we have been given permission to use. Logins should not be shared with anyone not authorised by the Agency owner. Passwords or confidential information should never be written down or stored in full form, even within secure systems.
- P3.2: Other client packages and license arrangements. We give the client the best prices we can at the time of quoting. However prices and costs raise and archived pricing cannot be continued to remain sustainable. In the spirit of discretion and confidentiality past pricing, legacy projects or other client arrangements are not discussed.
- A simple response to to queries on past prices or prices to other clients is:
- "We give clients the best price we can at the time of quoting. For reasons of confidentially we don't disclose the prices, plans and services made with other clients."
- P3.3: Agency plans, private notes and any non shared, no public communications or content. Our websites contain publicly accessible information and we may choose to share projects within the project management system. Outside of this any content or communications made should not be kept client within private Agency channels and platform shares and not shared with clients in any form.
We may need to respectfully respond to information requests that contravene any of the above points.
Although mistakes will happen from time to time, as a rule correct punctuation and grammar are necessary in professional communications. In addition we want to avoid overly expressive messaging.
- ❌ Overly expressive additions such as !!, smiley's or casual language or tones we would use with a friend.
- ❌ Capitals are misinterpreted as shouting, use bold and italic for emphasis.
- ❌ Avoid using absolutes such as always and never unless there is a special case.
- ✅ Break up long sentences into multiple sentences.
- ✅ Large paragraphs can be avoided by linking to relevant sources for more information (See Accuracy - A3: Link, don't lecture).
- ✅ Use spelling and grammar checks when sending messages.
Protecting the agencies reputation involves care communication on multiple fronts. Below is a summary of some of these points:
- ❌ Avoid use of third party links that are not reputable
- ❌ Avoid 'mud slinging' of competitors. Answer any queries about competitors neutrally, than redirect to the positive work of the agency.
- ❌ Avoid excessive 'over explaining' of decisions, after the initial explanation and an in person / video call, matters need to be closed. Repeated explaning and information demands may reveal the partnership is no longer working.
- ✅ Link to Digiful pages where possible, or reputable third parties.
- ✅ When asked leading questions about competitors, whether they are put in a good light or bad light - your answer should be neutral regarding them and positive regarding the agency..
- ✅ Defend agency decisions up to a point, after that arrange for a in person meeting or video call for persistent issues.
Short, punchy and concise communications expediate resolution and give a professional impression. Ways to do this include:
- ✅ Try to keep all emails under 3 min read or the equivalent of half a sheet of A4.
- ✅ Single topic emails are the best, triple topic emails are generally the limit.
- ✅ Use clearly labelled links to avoid the question 'can you send me the link'.
SPEED & TIMING
The support guidelines of the agency are covered on the Support Protocols page. This indicates that agency hours are generally office hours and the type of support time per type of request.
The following protocols can also assist in this matter.
See clients support protocols for the aim times.
The majority of requests can be handled quickly and may even be redirected back to existing self serve sources.
The initial actions are:
- Use the Support Protocols guide to classify the request
- Check if the customer is on a Plus or Pro web package plan or SEO/PPC Retainer
- Existing customers have priority for support and Pro customers have elevated priority.
- Ensure a short acknowledge is given (if auto response is not setup) and where possible direct them to a self serve resource or help page on this site).
Even if you are working outside office hours, avoid sending communications late evening. Send emails during business hours (9 AM to 5 PM), using 'Schedule Send' where needed.
For meetings or project deadlines set up scheduled emails and messages as needed.
The aim is to reply within one business day. Doing so builds trust and strong communication reputation.
High quality communications may take a little longer to send but overall there is time savings as they avoid predictable follow up questions. For communications that are more urgent you use (or schedule) business WhatsApp or one way Firetext sms alerts.
If no response is received, follow up to check the matter has been resolved.
Our message frameworks
Triple 🇦
The Triple 🇦 framework looks at the 3 elements any message should have, in the order they need to be covered. These 3 elements ensure the client feels heard and can see a way forward.
- 👌 Acknowledge (the client's point of view, empthay)
- ➣ Advise (diagnose the way forward, staying positive)
- ☑ Actions (outline concrete actions with dates)
Whether you agree with the other person's point of view, it needs to be acknowledged. To do this you can use a one or two sentences that does these things:
- Repeats their understanding of the situation.
- Underlines how they may feel.
- Shows your desire to address the situation.
An example with the important aspects in italics:
"I understand your ad conversions are not performing as expected, and this is frustrating. I'd like to address this situation and arrange a meeting to plan how to move this forward".
The more accurate term is 'diagnose' before giving advice. Before making final recommendations:
- Ask questions that focus on past related events
- Ask questions that expand the knowledge of the current situation
- Ask questions that define ideal future outcomes.
Stay positive, without making promises that may not be achieveable.
'Under promise and over deliver'.
Outline the actions you will take explicity. Do not persume the client will understand abbreviations and jargon.
Providing dates for actions to be completed will reassure them that you take the situation seriously.
Triple 🇷
The Triple 🇷 framework goes beyond the basic Triple 🇦 framework and looks at optimisation. To a certain degree, we can optimise our messages to be 'evergreen' or'future proofed'. This means they can act as a point of reference to clear up understandings. It is also means that we can reduce long message chains and unnecessary back and forth.
Building on the foundation, these components further optimise our communications:
- ◌ Reflective - 'Reflective' communication (similar to the principles of 'context window' communications)
- 🎯 Refocus - Refocusing and reframing conversation to positive, new business outcomes
- ↔ Refine - Succint communications with links to further information.
'Reflective communication' is a technique commonly used in professional organisations and negotiation discussions. It involves giving a complete answer which includes the question being asked, to confirm understanding. It is also known as 'mirroing'.
- Example client question: “What reporting generating functions does this software have?”
- ✅ Full reflective communication response: “To answer your question regarding the report generating function of {name software}, the software can be configured to automatically create and email reports to 3 different email accounts on a weekly or monthly basis.
- ❌ Non detailed response: "Yes the software provides reports"
The full reflective response is a sharp contrast to the non detailed response.
It is a complete answer or 'full context window' as it includes the original question + the required answer + relevant other details. This is related to P1 in the Professional part of the M.A.P.S foundational framework.
An full answer can stand accurately on it's own even if removed from the context of the message.
Note 6 important details in italics which ensures the reply will clarify the question now and be a reference point to avoid future misunderstandings.
- report generating function - core topic stated
- name of software - a safeguard for clarity if multiple platforms are being discussed
- can be configured - a clear statement that setup work needs to be done
- automatically create and email - a clear functionality statement
- different email accounts - a limit is communicated to how many emails can receive the reports
- weekly or monthly basis - there are 2 clear options provided for the client, which saves them asking if 'daily' reports are an option.
This method:
- ✔️ Shows you have read or listened to the client's need
- ✔️ Reduces current and future misunderstandings
- ✔️ Demonstrates you are serious and comprehensive in addressing replies (questions won't need to be repeated for clarity)
- ✔️ Structures the conversation clearly for all parties going forward and ensures the answer is future proofed.
The example answer is longer than most normal queries. However a good question to ask for efficiency and completeness when addressing client questions is:
"How can I answer the question asked completely plus any related questions in the same reply?"
The point of using dummy text for your paragraph is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. making it look like readable English.
The point of using dummy text for your paragraph is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. making it look like readable English.
Triple 🇵
The Triple 🇵 Pitch structure can be used any time you are talking or messaging a client. Although client research is preferred, you do not always need to be armed with a custom proposal or pitch deck to use the principles stated here. Learning the client's pain points and progress opportunities naturally leads to a more compelling proposal.
- ➳ Pain
- ⇡ Progress
- ⟴ Proposal
The point of using dummy text for your paragraph is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. making it look like readable English.
The point of using dummy text for your paragraph is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. making it look like readable English.
The point of using dummy text for your paragraph is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters. making it look like readable English.
🇸 5 S: 📹 Video messages
These principles are discussed on the video messaging page.
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