By Neil Phillips.
I’ve never been big on emojis. Once in a while, I’ll put a smiley face of some type at the end of a message to just “round out” what I was saying. And then one day, I raised my head and saw them everywhere. I see them in the subject lines of emails, included in the text of messages, and some are so obtuse I have to stop and think about what it’s supposed to mean. [Does a bicycle mean I should go faster or get out of there?]
On the off chance that I am not alone, I wanted to investigate these weird pictures and see how they might help direct sales leaders. They are awesome! Emojis are not just cute pictures. They help convey your meaning and get noticed. Two cautions before proceeding:
- I will be including some emojis here. If all you are seeing is a then your device isn’t showing emojis. Immediately stop and go to https://teamconnections.org/2019/08/08/to-emoji-or-not-to-emoji/ and read it there.
- This will be longer than usual. We’re learning a new language here and it doesn’t happen quickly unless you are under a year old.
Keep This in Mind When You Start:
Emojis are a fun toy and it’s easy to get carried away. There are over 2800 common emoji and the count is growing daily. Start by finding a simple one or two that you can use in your communications. Trust me, it will easily grow from there.
Run a Test Before Doing Anything Else:
When you have some spare time, send yourself an email. You won’t want to fumble around later. You also want to see what it will look like to the receiver. For my devices:
🥠 When I send from a phone to a phone, what is sent is what is received.
🥠 When I send from my phone to a pc, the emojis change to black and white.
🥠Apple is better than Microsoft at emojis.
🥠 In Microsoft Office on a PC, use the Windows key and a period at the same time to access emojis.
🥠 On most devices, the emojis are built into the menu for easy access.
So play around when you have time and be effective when you need to be.
Three Quick Reasons to Use Emojis
First, Emojis communicate your personality.
The old cliché is that a picture is worth a 1000 words. Emoji add little bits of YOU to a message. They help your personal branding. The picture helps tell the complete story. It’s the 🍒 on top. Obviously, you have to use caution. Don’t use weird emoji. [You might be asking for an act that is illegal in some states.] If in doubt, find an appropriate face. Some examples:
What’s Cooking? 🍳🍜
Join us! You’ll 😂 maybe even 🤣. There will be things for your 💖. And we will celebrate our team 🎈
Want to see what’s 🆕?
Special 📝: Usually, fewer is better. Don’t use an emoji just to be using one.
Special 📝: If you want the receiver to take action, don’t end with a smiley face.
Second, emoji’s get results.
They get noticed and readers spend more time on your materials because of it. Try using an emoji or two in your email subject line. Studies point to a 25% higher open rate on emails that use emojis.
HubSpot reports on several studies and finds:
Special ⚠: If the email has to seem professional, don’t use emojis. In those cases, you seem less competent.
Special ⚠: Remember the context! Angry faces in an email will get it deleted.
Third, emojis promote relationship quality.
Emojis can often soften hard news or keep a relationship strong when you, as the leader, engage in some tough 👩❤️👩. Some examples:
🥠 Susan, as a leader will you work to arrive a little early for our calls? I need you there to help greet. Not a problem, right? 😀😀
🥠 Rebecca, I’m so sorry to hear your party cancelled. 🤗🤗 Keep going! 🚘
You will lead the way! Your future is so bright you going to need 😎
Looking for a FB Group to Test Your Ideas? Ask in the Direct Selling Leaders Network!
Every Friday, we offer a quick five minute Facebook live in our group, the Direct Selling Leaders Network. You and your future leaders are welcome to join the group. We have no cross recruiting and no daily sales pitches. PS: Our Friday topics for the next few weeks are about building and sustaining a business on Facebook. Interested? Join today!
