Don’t Ignore Your Business E-mail Etiquette

One top overlooked things new online business owners disregard the importance of is to address their Business E-mail Etiquette Skills — or lack thereof.

Many are used to only communicating with family and friends and in their incorrect belief that e-mail is an informal communication tool, proceed to communicate on behalf of their business in a way that does not lend to being perceived as an educated, credible professional.

Just because you may be typing in your jammies on the couch does not mean you relay that level of casualness in your business e-mails.

Online, perception is the only reality. Type like a sixth grader and that is how you will be perceived. Send e-mails with little courtesy, filled with types and incomplete sentences and how can you expect new customers to trust their hard earned dollars with you?

For an investment of under fifteen bucks you can have all these bases covered and take the risk that you will be perceived negatively right off the table by reading, absorbing and then putting into practice the information in the following eBook:

Business E-mail Etiquette eBook

Then, while you are at that site, sign up to get updates and you’ll get the author’s weekly posts delivered right into your inbox. This is a competitive issue folks and one you cannot risk being outperformed on!

Business E-mail & First Impressions

Probably several times each week through one of my Blogs or postings out there online, someone gives me a hard time about how I am too aggressive with my opinions when it comes to business e-mail etiquette and that I make a “big deal” out of nothing. To me, when it comes to business, e-mail etiquette is common sense — and a big deal.

They go on to say how all this “e-mail etiquette stuff” really doesn’t matter if you do a good job, if people know you, if you run a long time business. Who do I think I am setting these rules? Another “Who made you judge, jury and executioner when it comes to e-mail?” Yikes! Everyone judges you by your e-mail whether you know it or not! And, I’ve never known anyone who was executed for poor business e-mail skills, fired maybe but not executed. One has to then wonder how they run other aspects of their business.

There is nothing wrong with caring about how you are perceived especially in the rabidly competitive arena called online business. Most normal folks get up in the morning, take a shower, iron their clothes, groom their hair — all because they care about how they look and they want to make that all important good impression. Not necessarily because of what others may think but also because you want to put your best foot forward.

When you send an e-mail in all small case, filled with typos and grammatical errors, what is the person on the other side of the screen to think about what it will be like to do business with you? Well, those who know you very well will probably shrug their shoulders and wonder why you don’t make these simple efforts to communicate like the professional they know you are. While those who don’t know you will form an impression about your business, attention to detail and credibility.

Some of these impressions include what level of education you may not have (educated folks communicate in an educated manner) and why you do not seem to care about how others will view you by simply communicating properly. Neither of which are positive.

First impressions happen and you can control what they will be and many times only have one chance to rise above your perceived competitors. Why not make the simple effort to practice proper Business E-mail Etiquette? The benefits are many and believe me — it won’t hurt!

Laziness in E-mail Addressing

When I get addressed as “Dear Sir/Madam” in any e-mail, I know the Sender is lazy. How do I know this? Because my sites are so me. With just one or two clicks you know that “” is the person behind the site. I’m not a Sir, nor do I consider myself a Madam!

So, if one wants to contact me with a business related e-mail and uses this greeting, I know they are probably not too discriminating in who they are contacting with their offer. They just want to get their collateral in front of whomever is behind the site.

One would think they would want to know about the person behind the site before e-mailing therefore actually finding my name. Nope — they don’t care about who I am — they just want to get their message across with the least amount of effort. What do you think that says about your business or “opportunity?”

Then, there are those who e-mail and address me by name. Some use Ms. Kallos or — either way, I know they took a moment of their time to know who they are e-mailing and to address me by name. How nice is that!? I can tell you I take offers or requests from folks who e-mail in that manner much more seriously than e-mails from those who just want to copy and paste and hit Send.

Particularly in business, this little extra E-mail Etiquette effort when it comes to your business e-mail goes along way to impressing the other side with the seriousness and professionalism of your request.

What is a business person to do if they can’t find a name to specifically address their e-mail to? Pick up the old fashioned telephone and ask! Are we becoming telephobic?

Details matter when it comes to business e-mails. And, more times than not, e-mail is not the best mode of first contact. Make the extra effort to pick up the phone and give a call, introduce yourself and ask if you may e-mail additional information. Now, that’s how you do business (and get the best results)!

Opportunity Lost: The Devil IS in the Details

Our lives are filled with details… Too many to deal with at times.  I get that.  Combine off-line details with all the online details you need to pay attention to and it can very easily become disarmingly overwhelming!  I get that too.  But unfortunately, it is all these details that if ignored will almost guarantee failure.

If you don’t pay attention to your online details (Web stats, content, email etiquette, etc.) — your online program will suffer.  Being so many of the details that are available to us virtually with a click or two, there really is no excuse to ignore their existence.   It is clear that by disregarding these same details will literally affect the level of your online success.  And in my experience, too many think it is O.K. to neglect the details that apply to their online program.

I’m here to tell you it’s not O.K. Those details, such as Web site copy and how you type your e-mails, will lend to your creditability and legitimacy with potential customers. Contact potential business partners reflecting the inability to realize the importance of format, sentence structure and proper grammar and you can count on the fact your inquiry won’t be taken seriously.  Opportunity lost.

Your Web stats — which are a ton of details that can make one feel like they are literally drowning in statistics — are critical to you understanding what is going on (or not going on) at your site.  How can you possibly make an informed business decision on what your next move should be if you don’t know what is actually going on — now?  Opportunity lost.

I guess doing business online  would be a lot simpler if all the data and details were somehow transposed to site owners by osmosis.  But until that happens, site owners have no choice but to embrace the details and use them to their advantage.

Get yourself a day planner and write down all the details you need to pay attention to and when — and then have the discipline to follow through.  This is the type of discipline that separates the men from the boys when it comes to successful businesses — on and off-line.

Only then will you be able to take full advantage of what technology can do for you business.  Nothing happens without the details.

Always Communicate Professionally with a Dash of Humility

Go to any of my sites and you know I am big on e-mail etiquette. It simply is a practice that allows you to be perceived favorably and professionally. Educated professionals communicate in an educated and professional manner.  Period.

There is one business in particular that I work with that always comes off as terse and demanding in almost every e-mail they’ve sent. No Hellos or Thank Yous, no closings and very few complete sentences. Always cryptic thoughts and blurbs. Maybe a sentence or two per e-mail stating what they want.

Up until now, I took it in stride. Until today. When I replied to an e-mail, point by point, I get a reply from them back in all caps. The caps were typed purposely to emphasize their point that assumed I did not understand what they meant and I was at fault in regard to what they perceived to be me not doing my job.

First, don’t ever yell in your e-mail.  No one appreciates being yelled at and there is no reason to resort to that level of communication in your business e-mails.   Secondly, don’t point fingers and type accusations when you are a cryptic communicator as though the other side should be able to read your mind and know what you “meant.”

In this case the person was irate that their site wasn’t live and insinuated I wasn’t thorough.  When in reality, all they had to do was clear their browser’s cache and hit reload to see their new site that was launched as I stated. No apology followed after clearly communicating in an insulting manner that was unnecessary and completely wrong in tone and content.

The lesson here grasshopper? Type in complete thoughts with clarity.  If you have to type “that isn’t what I meant” then you need to work on your communication skills.  And, before you make insulting insinuations to those technology partners that clearly know more than you, check your own backyard and make sure there is nothing on your side that you could be doing, not doing or not understanding to create the perceived issue at hand.

Do You Make Folks Cringe?

We all have one or two folks that when we see their name in our inbox it makes us cringe. Speaking from a professional business POV alone, I can say that when I cringe it is because I know the sender is one that is not a clear communicator, rarely takes my recommendation and basically makes me inefficient.

When it comes to the e-mails I receive on a daily basis through this site asking about my services or for my assistance, I am continually surprised at how many onliners seem to not want to make a positive impression.  They make no effort to try and impress me with their communications skills and understanding of what it is I do (maybe it is the “I’m the customer” attitude that they feel negates them from having to make an effort to communicate as though one made it out of 6th grade?)

All too many think that starting an e-mail with a nice greeting is trivial or unnecessary.  They clearly do not realize how their request will be perceived as bossy, demanding or terse. Or to include their name and a closing statement is a waste of time.  Remember what I said earlier this week about people doing business with people they like?  How can someone think they would like working with you if you can’t take the time to include your name and a “Thank in Advance!” or “I look forward to hearing from you!”?

Let’s compare based on an actual e-mail received by yours truly. First, the e-mailer who feels greetings, clarity, proper sentence structure and courtesy are not necessary:

i need a new site… my old one sucks… i was ripped off… what can YOU do for me???????

Hmmm… If this person took just a little time perusing my site and the 100s pages of free information contained within — they would have clear idea what I can do for them.  And, I’m sorry you feel you got ripped off and your site sucks — has nothing to do with me, my services or what I can do for you.

No specifics, no “Hello”, proper sentence structure or courtesy involved — just a statement of what the sender wants to get across.  The mulitple question marks are the frosting on the cake.  E-mails like that get a very different response from me than what the next example would garner.

Now, let’s just add a bit of clarity with a touch of courtesy…

Hello, :

Hope you are having a nice day!  I was wondering if you could check out my Web site, my URL is… (domain name).  I am not proud of this site and unfortunately, am not at all pleased with the person I previously contracted to help me out.

I’ve read a bunch of info on your site and feel you can help me get back on track.  Would you mind looking at my site and telling me how you feel we should proceed.  Thank you in advance for your time and suggestions!

Carry Client

Wow — what a difference! The second example was courteous, clear in their request by providing the necessary details and signed off in a manner that makes one feel as though my efforts are appreciated.  It also was a clear window into exactly what it would be like to work with this individual specifically by e-mail — our main mode of communciation.

Now, based on thee above, which of these potential inquiries would you choose to work with?

Can you see how the very same request can be perceived completely differently simply by taking the time to add a few details and common courtesy? Just taking the time to communicate clearly, succinctly and with courtesy will ensure you attract and nurture the best virtual relationships possible.

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