E-mail Explicitness

ex·plic·it –adjective

1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal: explicit instructions; explicit language.
2. clearly developed or formulated: explicit knowledge; explicit belief.
3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken: He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.

Now that we are clear on the above, apply this to your e-mails. If you receive an e-mail that asks several questions — answer each one, point-by-point. Don’t just hit reply and type a general statement at the top of the e-mail that doesn’t cover all the issues presented.

Explicitness in your e-mail communications helps to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. If you top-post, (the bad habit of just typing a cryptic reply at the top of an e-mail without including any e-mail etiquette) you are taking the lazy way out and showing the person who e-mailed you that you are not capable of succinct replies.

Learn how to, and practice, the down-editing of your replies to avoid unnecessary back and forths for clarification. Down-editing will also show that it is important to you to be a clear communicator and will speak volumes as to what it will be like to communicate with you. PIA or joy?

Don’t just reply with what point or info you want to relay — reply to the specifics of the e-mail that was sent to you. Not doing so will demonstrate a lack of courtesy for those who e-mail you causing them to have to send an additional e-mail for clarification. In business, replying without displaying this level of attention to detail will undermine your potential for success as well as show your lack of professionalism.

Get the the Business Email Etiquette eBook so you know the enuances of online business communications.

E-mail Explicitness

ex·plic·it –adjective

1. fully and clearly expressed or demonstrated; leaving nothing merely implied; unequivocal: explicit instructions; explicit language.
2. clearly developed or formulated: explicit knowledge; explicit belief.
3. definite and unreserved in expression; outspoken: He was quite explicit as to what he expected us to do for him.

Now that we are clear on the above, apply this to your e-mails. If you receive an e-mail that asks several questions — answer each one, point-by-point. Don’t just hit reply and type a general statement at the top of the e-mail that doesn’t cover all the issues presented.

Explicitness in your e-mail communications helps to avoid misunderstandings and confusion. If you top-post, (the bad habit of just typing a cryptic reply at the top of an e-mail without including any Business E-mail Etiquette) you are taking the lazy way out and showing the person who e-mailed you that you are not capable of succinct replies.

Don’t just reply with what point or info you want to relay — reply to the specifics of the e-mail that was sent to you. Not doing so will demonstrate a lack of courtesy for those who e-mail you causing them to have to send an additional e-mail for clarification. In business, replying without displaying this level of attention to detail will undermine your potential for efficient communications.

Learn how to, and practice, the down-editing of your replies to avoid unnecessary back and forths for clarification. Down-editing will also show that it is important to you to be a clear communicator and will speak volumes as to what it will be like to communicate with you. PIA or joy?

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!

Top 10 Scariest Email “Boo-Boos”!

On this day of being scary, screaming and acting like someone or something else, what a perfect time to write about the…. Top 10 Scariest Email “Boo-Boos”:

10. Not capitalizing your name properly. Are you dressed up as a grade schooler today?

9. Not including and pleasant greeting and closing in every email. Only zombies type that way!

8. Not spell-checking. No excuse fore typos — use the spell checker.

7. Bolding selected type or changing the font to red provides emphasis — strong emphasis. Be sure the level of emphasis you desire is clear — the other side will assume the highest level when formatting of this kind is used. Unless you are dressed up as a politician for Halloween; ditch the emphasis and choose your words more carefully instead.

6. Not having your e-mail settings setup correctly so that your name reflects properly in the From: field. Don’t be surprised if your emails get misidentified as spam.

5. Not using the Subject: field properly. Short, sweet and relevant to your email’s content or you risk your email not being opened. Even on Halloween when you are trying to be something you are not — don’t do the same with your Subject:.

4. Sending unannounced large attachments. Always ask first when would be the best time to send (and what format the other side prefers).

3. Forwarding silly jokes, political commentary and “feel good” emails to those who didn’t ask for them. And to make things worse, you put all your contact;s email addresses in the To: field (instead of BCc:) thereby exposing their addresses to strangers. Yikes!

2. Using multiple instances of punctuation is perceived as being demanding and condescending. One exclamation point or question mark is enough. Eeeeek!

1. And, the #1 Scariest Email Boo-Boo is…
Assuming none of these issues matter and that you can do what you want. Perception is the only reality online — it’s your choice if you want to be perceived as educated and courteous. Don’t care? That will be clear too!

Boo!!!

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)!

Like it or Not, Opinions Are Formed by How You E-mail

It still surprises me how many folks think they can type like sixth graders and be taken seriously. When it comes to business, perception is everything. Whether you are a client, customer or provider; how you communicate with the written word will speak volumes as to what you think is important — and your level of education.

See I am of the impression that educated people type in an educated manner. They don’t know any other way to communicate. I have some college, an engineering cert and accounting courses under my belt, but no big fancy schmancy alphabet soup degrees. For me to type in incomplete sentences, not capitalize sentences, not spell check, would require conscious thought and effort — it would be more work for me!

From a customer/client point of view, when you type like a grade schooler, your opinion or point of view is simply not taken as seriously. The fact remains if you were serious about your e-mail, you would have taken the time to type it properly. When you are not taken seriously, or if your errors are pointed out to you, to then get belligerent because you are being judged when you had the opportunity to be perceived positively, simply solidifies your lack of professionalism. Not good for business. I’ll share an example with you.

Over the weekend a client of mine had to deal with a customer who made some blatantly insulting accusations by e-mail — filled with typos. He asked for my advice and help in how best to respond. My client had replied to this person telling him he didn’t appreciate the character assassination based on their lack of knowledge or understanding about how to download the products they had purchased.

My client also pointed out to this ex-customer (he gladly refunded his money as he realized this was a person that would never be satisfied) that having typos or your name in all small case in the From: field didn’t back up his claim that he understood how to use computers (benign statements compared to the insults my client had been e-mailed). This ex-customer, while getting his money back — so he was out nothing, didn’t appreciate being told that the manner in which he choose to communicate was not appreciated nor were his complaints valid.

This “customer” responded by sending another profanity filled e-mail containing physical threats. I read my client’s e-mail. It was professional in tone and point by point covered each incorrect and insulting claim this person made. Because you run an online business, are you to cow-tow to every crazy that comes your way? I say no. The customer isn’t always right — especially when they are wrong! I think this ex-customer did not expect to be held accountable for his misstatements nor did he expect someone to gladly NOT want to do business with him.

All this could have been avoided by e-mailing with humility and kindness. When you are a newbie online or do not understand computers or how some systems work, that doesn’t mean the other side has nefarious intentions or is out to rip you off. But even if you feel that to be the case, by not having your e-mail settings reflect your name properly, by sending an obnoxious typo laden and grammatically butchered e-mail, how can you honestly be expected to be taken seriously?

I’m lucky that for the most part I don’t have to deal with crazies like that. But my clients know I am here to coach them, be an “ear” and make suggestions whenever they are put in the position of having to deal with onliners who do not realize that like it or not, opinions are formed by how you e-mail.

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