Communication tips for Non Native English Speakers

[creativearies]

This post is especially for Non-Native English speakers.
A few words are annoying Fiverrians, such as sir, mam, dear, sweety, bro, love etc. In some countries, these words have a positive meaning and show respect for human beings only.
I know, it hurts when you call someone “dear” formally but get annoying response sadly. Please eliminate these words from your conversation.
Majority of people do not know that such words are the part of our formal education system(in Pakistan etc.). The simple users of such words don’t know why others are annoyed.
For example, when we learnt Official Letter writing in class 10th, the teacher taught us to start it with Dear Madam or Dear Sir and some other words too. Same it is, Urdu word Bhai is common in Pakistan and Bro would be in India etc.

Kindly don’t hurt the feelings of such ignorant sellers who have no idea where were they wrong!

[ramaraovajrala]

I never used those words. I prefer to mention buyer name.

[Guest offlinehelpers]

Starting a fromal letter with ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ seems to be a universal address, and wouldn’t cause offence to anyone.

Seniding an email that starts ‘How are you today dear’ possibly would.

This has all been thoroughly discussed before and might be useful:

Using "Dear" in place of someone's name/username is very colloquial and I thought this would help some sellers with their communication ? GOOD USES: * "Dear seller" * "Dear buyer" * "Dear NAME" (example: Dear Bob) * "Dear USERNAME" (example: Dear...

Reading time: 8 mins ? Likes: 647 ❤

[creativearies]

I never used those words. I prefer to mention buyer name.

Same here.

(20 characters)

[creativearies]

Starting a fromal letter with ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ seems to be a universal address, and wouldn’t cause offence to anyone.

Seniding an email that starts ‘How are you today dear’ possibly would.

This has all been thoroughly discussed before and might be useful:

Fiverr Forum

Calling people "Dear"

Using "Dear" in place of someone's name/username is very colloquial and I thought this would help some sellers with their communication ? GOOD USES: * "Dear seller" * "Dear buyer" * "Dear NAME" (example: Dear Bob) * "Dear USERNAME" (example: Dear...

Reading time: 8 mins ? Likes: 647 ❤

Thanks for sharing a useful link.

[yourfavourite]

creativearies thanks for help

[crossart_d]

yes affcause specialy in asian guys doing that mistake in comunication…

[jay3fer]

Starting a fromal letter with ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’ seems to be a universal address, and wouldn’t cause offence to anyone.

Seniding an email that starts ‘How are you today dear’ possibly would.

This has all been thoroughly discussed before and might be useful:

Fiverr Forum

Calling people "Dear"

Using "Dear" in place of someone's name/username is very colloquial and I thought this would help some sellers with their communication ? GOOD USES: * "Dear seller" * "Dear buyer" * "Dear NAME" (example: Dear Bob) * "Dear USERNAME" (example: Dear...

Reading time: 8 mins ? Likes: 647 ❤

As a native English speaker, I want to request - NEVER use the word “dear” with English speakers unless you’re going to follow it with “seller” “buyer” or my name. And even then, make sure you use the first name, never last name! Your suggestion of “How are you today dear?” would be something you’d only hear between a husband and wife, so it feels disgustingly informal from anyone else. I would instantly delete the email and write off such a person as highly nonprofessional.

Hope that helps!

[Guest offlinehelpers]

As a native English speaker, I want to request - NEVER use the word “dear” with English speakers unless you’re going to follow it with “seller” “buyer” or my name. And even then, make sure you use the first name, never last name! Your suggestion of “How are you today dear?” would be something you’d only hear between a husband and wife, so it feels disgustingly informal from anyone else. I would instantly delete the email and write off such a person as highly nonprofessional.

Hope that helps!

I think you may have wanted to reply to somebody else on the thread?

I’m also a native English speaker and know how to respond to anyone who messages me - I would never say:

How are you today dear?

etc. but thank you! ☀️

[Guest logoeasy]

There a lot of buyers here at Fiverr from countries where people do not get offended by someone addressing them as “dear, bro”, etc and as you rightly mentioned, in those countries, people do not get offended at all by this, as long as the word used is not really offensive in reality.
Once, again this is respective to individuals. Me. as an individual, I do not get offended when a seller addresses me as dear, bro, etc. Infact I have a positive frame of mind to be matured enough to understand that the seller is trying to build a rapport. In reality those words are NOT offensive in any way at all whatsoever. Nonetheless in certain regions as you mentioned, these words are considered as offensive. I have travelled the world … lots of countries all over and I do address people as dear, etc and I never faced anyone feeling offensive at all in any way. It may be due to the fact of intense migrations that have happened in recent years, resulting in lots of people from certain countries moving permanently to certain other regions and hence people are becoming more aware of other people’s culture are realizing that certain things considered as offensive, are actually not offensive in reality.

[Guest logoeasy]

In some countries, for example formally addressing someone in a written communication, as “Dear Sir / Madam” is very much accepted and indeed expected, as OP has mentioned.
Whereas in some countries it is seen as offensive.
Fiverr is a platform with buyers and sellers from many many different countries and hence, participants (sellers / buyers) must understand, as OP has mentioned, that there is a fine “grey” line as far as addressing a buyer / seller is concerned.
But, I would say that if a buyer or seller is matured enough to understand that Fiverr is a global platform, then a buyer or seller would really not consider this aspect as an impediment or try to impose the customs of the user of one country onto the user from another country.
The best thing to do in reality, is to use the English Oxford Dictonary to see the meaning of a word and understand if a word is offensive or not.
Here, I am referring to “offensive” and not “suitable”.
I am addressing people who consider certain words as “offensive”.
Yes, certain words may not be suitable in certain scenarios while addressing people, but those words may not be offensive at all. I am addressing the point of certain words being considered as “offensive”

[mahbublive]

I think we can call them his/her name, I like to do this.