Email Etiquette: 7 Tips for Better CommunicationWritten by Dina Giolitto, Wordfeeder.com
Working for yourself is a little different than working for a company. You can't rely on HR to take care of details. You're not going to run into someone in break room where you can say, "Hey did you get my email?" You have limited chances to communicate with your clients and collaborators, so you want to be as clear as possible. Here are some tips on proper email protocol that will help foster your business relationships and help people to remember you as an exceptional communicator!1. Read other person's email several times before writing your reply. Sometimes in our hurry to get things done, we glaze over important details and miss message. Are you asking questions that someone already took their precious time to answer first time around? Did you MISS their questions that require a response? Slow down, take your time, be thorough! Your clients will be glad for specialized attention and great service. 2. Always include contact information at end of your email. Even if you've talked to this person a thousand times before, they'll always appreciate easy access to your full company name, email address, phone and fax number. You want referrals, right? Think of how simple it will be for them to pass along your info to a new customer if it's right before their eyes! 3. Never assume that someone doesn't know something. Sure, you're a storehouse of handy information, but it's a little arrogant to assume that no one else on planet knows what you know. If you want to offer an impromptu tutorial, great. But do tack on a friendly intro such as: "Maybe you already know this but," or "Ever try such-and-such?" If they haven't, they can say, "No... but thanks for new ideas!" If they have, they can respond with an enthusiastic, "Yes I have, and I love it!" 4. Always let your colleague know that you've received an important message, and inform them of when you intend to respond. Example: "Thanks for sending contract; I'll look it over this weekend and get back to you by Monday evening at latest." Even if you're incredibly busy and not sure exactly when you'll be ready with an answer, don't leave anyone hanging indefinitely. For all they know, you never got email!
| | Make Use of the Signature Line in Your EmailWritten by Susanne Myers
Make Use of Signature Line in Your EmailThink about it, how many emails do you send out every day? How many of these forwarded jokes, pictures, stories etc do you receive every week? Why not put your email to work for you?! Add a link or two to your signature file. Mine looks something like this: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Susanne I am a Work at Home Mom Wannabe www.wahmwannabe.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You get idea. You can start as simple or as fancy as you'd like. You do want to get your readers attention though. Make a statement, ask a question. If you'd like, offer something free. A free coupon if they place their first order etc. You may also want to change your signature around a little from time to time, particularly if you email same people a lot. Never miss an opportunity to display your links though. You never know when someone's situation or circumstances change and all of a sudden, they may be interested in what you have to offer, be it a product or a business opportunity. Right now, a lot of people that I email on a daily basis may not be interested in www.wahmwannabe.com. But what if one of them just found out she is pregnant and is all of a sudden considering starting a business from home. I may not know about it for a while, and she may not want to tell me, but link is there.
|
