Smileys in Business

Smileys and other emoticons, or “emotion icons” are considered flippant by some people, but in fact they perform a very useful and necessary service in the area of e-mail and text communication. In the early days of e-mail, users discovered that it was difficult to communicate their emotions properly sometimes because the intent of their words was not clear to the receiver. In other words, the intended tone of the communication was often lost by using text alone because of the lack of body or facial language in the communication.

But a solution to this communication problem was quickly invented: the humble emoticon. And the best-known of these friendly little symbols is the so-called Smiley Face. The Smiley was originally created by typing a colon, dash and closed bracket, and appears like this on the screen.

Emoticons or Smiley Faces are used millions of times every single day online, on message boards or forums, in e-mails, on instant messaging and increasingly on mobile phones. The Smiley is regularly used in cell phone text messaging, for example.

Generally, emoticons like the Smiley Faces are useful and appropriate in many situations, such as e-mailing friends and family, or expressing the emotional content of a message while posting to a blog, on a message board, or other online forum. But the question is often asked, “is it appropriate for Smiley Faces be used in business or other more formal e-mails?”

The answer to this simple question is surprisingly difficult. For example, while it is definately inadvisable to use Smileys or other emoticons in highly formal e-mail communications, in less formal business correspondence they could well be appropriate. If, for example, you are comfortable with, and have a social relationship with a business associate, emoticons can be perfectly appropriate. However, you’ll want to exercise considerable caution, and refrain from overusing Smileys or other types of emoticons even in the most informal of business e-mails.

The use of smiley icons can sometimes signify a casual and even playful tone in an e-mail, therefore it is important to consider if your use of the Smiley will be perceived as unprofessional in some cases. As a general rule, simply ask yourself, “would the recipient of this e-mail use a smiley or other emoticon themselves?” If you suspect the recipient would not use an emoticon, the best choice is to refrain from using them yourself. In other words, when in doubt, leave the Smiley out.

Another point to consider is this; will the recipient of your e-mail understand the use of the Smiley? Older professionals, in particular, may not have the experience of using or receiving emoticons. So the question is not so much if they will approve, but if they will actually understand the intended meaning of including emoticons in your message. Unless an individual has sent you an e-mail containing a smiley, it is impossible to say for certain if they are familiar with, or approve of, these helpful little symbols.

To summarize, Smileys should only be used in the most informal of business correspondence, or if you have a close relationship with the recipient. You should never use a smiley or other emoticon in a formal business memo, proposal, letter or communication.

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