Real Life Tips On How to do Business Email Better
Email consumes SO MUCH of our work life now, it would be helpful and more productive if we all learned to email smarter!
Here are FIVE really SIMPLE TIPS to help you do a few things better with your email.
1. It’s not OK to:
Send an Email Without a Signature
Did you know, colleagues can search received mail by name and use it like an address book? Email is a communications vehicle, but it’s only one of many ways of getting in touch with you. If you’re not including your phone and physical address every time you zip an electronic message off, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Give people every opportunity to reach you.
2. It’s not OK to:
Send a Mass Email Without Using BCC
Did you know emails should be respected and secured? You’ve received those emails addressed to you and dozens—or even hundreds—of others with all of your email addresses listed in the TO: or CC: field. After shaking your head you promptly select all, copy, and add these addresses to your email marketing list—score! Always protect your colleagues’ right to privacy!
3. It’s not OK to:
Attach an MS Word Contract or Message
Did you know that MS Word is a word processing program? That means you process words with the application…words can be changed, modified or altered! The entire message can be changed from your originally intended purpose. It seems like common sense but, unless the intent is for the recipient to edit the document, NEVER attach a Word document to an email.
4. It’s not OK to:
Attach a Duplicate Letter as a Document
Did you know that it takes valuable time to read email messages? If you want the email specially formatted, consider using an html mail manager like MailChimp or, attach a specially formatted PDF, but don’t duplicate the letter so that the recipient has to read it twice. It can be confusing and is definitely a waste of valuable time.
5. It’s not OK to:
Send Incomplete Replies
Did you know that people ask questions because they require answers? We’re strategic about our emails because they are a tool for doing business. It’s a real bummer when we list, even number, a group of five questions and receive a response on one or two of them. We have to send a follow-up for the remaining answers and soon, what could have been two emails, becomes six, twelve, thirty-seven, seventy-two…Let’s be efficient!
Everyone’s doing more and more business every day…
Following these five suggestions will increase your productivity and your colleagues will think more kindly of you!
