Slack Etiquette 101: How to Sound Professional (But Not Robotic)

Slack has replaced the office cooler, the meeting room, and the email inbox. But it's also a minefield of communication errors.

Type too fast, and you sound rude. Use too many emojis, and you look unprofessional. Use periods at the end of short sentences, and people think you're mad at them.

The "Tone Check"

Before you hit enter on that message to your boss or a client, give it a quick pass with Rephrase.

Draft: "No, that's wrong. We need to do it the other way." Rephrase (Polite): "I think there might be a misunderstanding. We should probably consider the alternative approach."

Common Scenarios

1. The "Nudge"

You need to remind someone to do something without being annoying.

• Draft: "did u do the report?"
• Rephrase: "Just checking in on the status of that report. Let me know if you need any help!"

2. The "No"

Rejecting a request is hard.

• Draft: "cant do that right now busy"
• Rephrase: "I'd love to help, but I'm currently swamped with the Q3 deliverables. Can we look at this next week?"

3. The "Clarification"

Asking for more info without sounding dumb.

• Draft: "i dont get it"
• Rephrase: "Could you clarify what you mean by that? I want to make sure I'm on the same page."

Be Yourself, But Better

Rephrase doesn't replace your personality; it just polishes it. It helps you communicate your intent clearly, avoiding unnecessary friction and misunderstandings.