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Hello,
Welcome to this week's edition of Etips.
If you're doing business on the Internet, you know the important role email
plays in your day to day business operations. However, did you know your
email messages also play a part in developing your professional image?
In today's edition of Etips, business etiquette expert, Lydia Ramsey shares
her thoughts on the top twelve email mistakes that can sabotage your
career.
I hope you'll enjoy the publication.
To your success!
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 The Top Twelve E-Mail Mistakes
That Can Sabotage Your Career
By
Lydia Ramsey
Copyright © 2004
You return to your office from an
afternoon meeting and decide to check e-mail. You wonder where your day went
after spending hours downloading messages, reading some, deleting others,
crafting replies and filing those that you want to work on later. Your e-mail
box was full when you arrived at work this morning and tomorrow promises
to be no different.
What is this e-mail explosion? Was there a point in time when the entire
world decided to use the Internet as their business communication tool of
choice? Are there rules for managing these messages and being a professional
and polite user of electronic mail? There are, but not everyone has gotten
the word.
Your e-mail is as much a part of your professional image as the clothes you
wear, the postal letters you write (assuming you still do), the greeting
on your voice mail and the handshake you offer. If you want to impress on
every front and build positive business relationships, pay attention to your
e-mail and steer clear of these top twelve e-mail mistakes:
1. OMITTING THE SUBJECT LINE. We are way past the time when we didn't realize
the significance of the subject line. It makes no sense to send a message
that reads "no subject" and seems to be about nothing. Given the huge volume
of e-mail that each person receives, the subject header is essential if you
want your message read any time soon. The subject line has become the hook.
2. NOT MAKING YOUR SUBJECT LINE MEANINGFUL. Your header should be pertinent
to your message, not just "Hi" or "Hello." The recipient is going to decide
the order in which he reads e-mail based on who sent it and what it is about.
Your e-mail will have lots of competition.
3. FAILING TO CHANGE THE HEADER TO CORRESPOND WITH THE SUBJECT. For example,
if you are writing your web publisher, your first header may be "Web site
content." However, as your site develops and you send more information, label
each message for what it is, "contact info," "graphics," or "home page."
Don't just hit "reply" every time. Adding more details to the header will
allow the recipient to find a specific document in his/her message folder
without having to search every one you sent. Start a new message if you change
the subject all together.
4. NOT PERSONALIZING YOUR MESSAGE TO THE RECIPIENT. E-mail is informal but
it still needs a greeting. Begin with "Dear Mr. Broome," "Dear Jim," "Hello
Jim," or just "Jim." Failure to put in the person's name can make you and
your e-mail seem cold.
5. NOT ACCOUNTING FOR TONE. When you communicate with another person face
to face, 93% of the message is non-verbal. E-mail has no body language. The
reader cannot see your face or hear your tone of voice so chose your words
carefully and thoughtfully. Put yourself in the other person's place and
think how your words may come across in Cyberspace.
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6. FORGETTING TO CHECK FOR SPELLING
AND GRAMMAR. In the early days of e-mail, someone created the notion that
this form of communication did not have to be letter perfect. Wrong. It does.
It is a representation of you. If you don't check to be sure e-mail is correct,
people will question the caliber of other work you do. Use proper capitalization
and punctuation, and always check your spelling. Remember that your spellchecker
will catch misspelled words, but not misused ones. It cannot tell whether
you meant to say "from" or "form," "for" or "fro", "he" or "the."
7. WRITING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL. E-mail is meant to be brief. Keep your
message short. Use only a few paragraphs and a few sentences per paragraph.
People skim their e-mail so a long missive is wasted. If you find yourself
writing an overly long message, pick up the phone or call a meeting.
8. FORWARDING E-MAIL WITHOUT PERMISSION. Most everyone is guilty of this
one, but think about it. If the message was sent to you and only you, why
would you take responsibility for passing it on? Too often confidential
information has gone global because of someone's lack of judgment. Unless
you are asked or request permission, do not forward anything that was sent
just to you.
9. THINKING THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL EVER SEE YOUR E-MAIL. Once it has left
your mailbox, you have no idea where your e-mail will end up. Don't use the
Internet to send anything that you couldn't stand to see on a billboard on
your way to work the next day. Use other means to communicate personal or
sensitive information.
10. LEAVING OFF YOUR SIGNATURE. Always close with your name, even though
it is included at the top of the e-mail, and add contact information such
as your phone, fax and street address. The recipient may want to call to
talk further or send you documents that cannot be e-mailed. Creating a formal
signature block with all that data is the most professional approach.
11. EXPECTING AN INSTANT RESPONSE. Not everyone is sitting in front of the
computer with e-mail turned on. The beauty of Internet communication is that
it is convenient. It is not an interruption. People can check their messages
when it suits them, not you. If your communication is so important that you
need to hear back right away, use the phone.
12. COMPLETING THE "TO" LINE FIRST. The name or address of the person to
whom you are writing is actually the last piece of information you should
enter. Check everything else over carefully first. Proof for grammar,
punctuation, spelling and clarity. Did you say what needed to be said? How
was your "tone of voice"? If you were the least bit emotional when you wrote
the e-mail, did you let it sit for a period of time? Did you include the
attachment you wanted to send? If you enter the recipient's name first, a
mere slip of the finger can send a message before its' time. You can never
take it back.
E-mail makes everything easier and faster including making a powerful business
impression and establishing positive professional relationships. The
businessperson who uses the technology effectively and appropriately will
see the results of that effort reflected in the bottom line.
(c) 2004, Lydia Ramsey. All rights in all media reserved.
About the Author:
| Lydia Ramsey
is a business etiquette expert, professional speaker, corporate trainer and
author of MANNERS THAT SELL - ADDING THE POLISH THAT BUILDS PROFITS. She
has been quoted or featured in The New York Times, Investors' Business Daily,
Entrepreneur, Inc., Real Simple and Woman's Day. For more information about
her programs, products and services, e-mail her at
lydia@mannersthatsell.com
or visit her web site
http://www.mannersthatsell.com |
|
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