|
This month's tip is E-mail Etiquette. How one should communicate with others via e-mail. Below are some pointers.
Reply to all e-mails:
This is such an important pointer. Try and reply to all the e-mails you receive, especially ones directed to you that are not a newsletter. No one can be too busy not to reply to an e-mail. If you are overwhelmed with things, simply reply to the sender that you are busy and will respond in so many hours or days. This way the sender knows when to look out for your e-mail.
Try and use a professional e-mail address.
This does not mean you need a personalised e-mail address like yourname @ yourbusiness.co.za it just means that your e-mail address handle should be professional. Try and stay away from words that are not often used in business and that can be seen as rude or offensive.
Don't always "reply-all" functionality in e-mails.
It's not always necessary to use the "reply-all" functionality in e-mails. If your reply is meant for a specific person, then e-mail it to the specific person directly. Yes, some e-mails are intended to inform others as well. In that fact it is fine. However, when things are not related to the original intent of the e-mail and it's just up-and-down e-mails about how sunny the weather is, it's no longer necessary to include everyone.
Professional-looking e-mail signature.
Try and use a professional e-mail signature when emailing clients. This is something one can easily get online. It doesn't have to be a designer e-mail signature, but you can also simply end your e-mails in a professional tone of voice. Keep your e-mail signatures dimensions as small as possible. Don't do overly large e-mail signatures as it won't display on all devices and might also block e-mails from being delivered.
Try and greet the person with their name.
Very important. If you know the person's name or can see the person's name in their e-mail address, try and greet the person using their name. Don't just go straight into your e-mail. This can come forward as you being rude. Yes, we know everyone is super busy and doesn't have time for e-mails. Remember the person you are e-mailing, you might just be their only e-mail for the week, so they might feel you are being rude and don't want to put an effort into sending them an e-mail.
Don't be sarcastic in e-mails.
This a no go zone! Let's not even go into it.
Read your e-mails before sending it.
Extremely important. Especially when you reply to an e-mail in a rush or reply to a complaint. Read the e-mail twice and even ask someone to double-check the e-mail for you. Check your spelling and also the tone of the e-mail. If you are a bit worked up by a client, don't just grab your phone or open your laptop and go on the immediate keyboard warrior attack. Breathe, look out the window, do a quick 5-minute meditation, scream at the computer screen, whatever you need to do to take away that initial feeling of irritation. Then, sit down and type an e-mail like you will be answering your very first sales enquiry from that person.
Source: World Economic Forum
|
