Another suggestion - trim message before sending it back to group. What I mean by this is do not leave all original discussion and replies at tail end as this is unnecessary and makes it inconvenient for those who have chosen to receive a daily digest of messages (they keep reading same things over and over otherwise) and difficult for those who are on limited bandwidth for email. But don't delete whole previous message - if you are responding to something, or adding to discussion. There are often multiple discussions going on and it could prove difficult for reader to understand what you're saying, and in what context, if whole previous message is deleted from your response. I have at times read something posted to a group and thought 'huh?' There is a happy medium here.

Discussion groups give you an opportunity to learn from others and share ideas, but more than that, it allows you to make friends on a global scale, and then world really does seem to become smaller. And, if you are really knowledgeable in your field, it also helps enforce this to others and before you know it, you become a respected member that others seek to learn from and perhaps be mentored by. What a privilege that can be!

One word of warning - belonging to multiple groups can become time consuming and addictive! You could find yourself spending more time reading and responding to messages than getting your work done. So, if you work virtually like I, and my team do, that can become a real danger to your business. As in all things, moderation is key, and you stand to learn many things and make lots of friends.

Third – take notice of correct spelling of people’s names. I’ve lost count of number of times that people have replied to an email of mine and spelt my name as either Kathy or Cathy – it’s neither. In addition, I’m sure spelling of your own name is just as important to you and it is quickly noticed when someone spells it incorrectly.

It’s these little things that make difference between an average business operator and one who does that extra something – every little thing counts when it comes to attracting clients and associates and keeping them. Taking time to care about these things and looking after even a client’s name goes a long way to developing good business relationships.

Article reprinted by permission Kathie M. Thomas, Founder "A Clayton's Secretary". Kathie is a multiple award winner in her industry as a Secretary and Virtual Business Operator, and has 30 years' experience in the secretarial/ administrative field. www.asecretary.com.au