You have likely seen them. You have probably even used them. Maybe you have even received one. The canned responses that your Gmail, LinkedIn and other similar platforms have recommended for you on how you should respond to messages received. More than just being able to finish your sentences with a swipe. These platforms are now giving you full sentence suggestions on what to respond.
They rely on artificial intelligence and keywords to determine suggested responses for you, to make your response easier, quicker and typo-free. No typos. No thought process.
They can be very helpful communication tools that help save time, but what are you actually communicating when you use these pre-populated responses?
THE HIDDEN MESSAGE
A public relations colleague vented in frustration late last month after receiving numerous canned, three-word sentences in response to the lengthy emails she took the time to send out.
Communicators will usually read, re-read and then re-work every email before sending it out. Do we make mistakes? Sure we do! (Shocker, I know!) But, the point is we make the effort to be thoughtful in our communications because we want to send the right message. When communicating with someone, remembering how they might interpret your message is just as important as what you are trying to say.
By using a canned response in your emails or direct messages, you are essentially telling people that their message does not deserve a personalized, thought out response. You are telling them that they are not worth your time.
When you give them that hidden, underlying message, their response may be less than desireable. Who wants to do business with someone who doesn’t care enough to send a personalized response?
SEND THE RIGHT MESSAGE
When using the canned responses as a quick response to a shorter email, be sure to still take the time personalize them. It could be as simple as writing their name at the end of the response or adding a sentence after the templated response.
By taking the time to insert a few extra words may add some seconds onto the task of responding to your emails, but it demonstrates that the person at the other end of your message is worth your time.
This way, you are sending the right message about how important they and their business are to you. This goes back to the goal of communication and the best way to connect with them.