E-mail Communication - love it / hate it

E-mail Communication - love it / hate it - it's here to stay

Have you ever sent off an e-mail that you need a quick reply on and then waited, and waited, and waited for a response? Have you ever relayed simple information on an issue and had it totally misinterpreted? Have you ever hastily shot off an e-mail and then noticed spelling or grammar mistakes - after the fact?

Here is a timely posting from Michael Hyatt on e-mail etiquette.

Every time you communicate, you are making a “brand impression”—for you—and for the organization you represent. What kind of impression are you making? Is it positive or negative?

I want to focus for a few moments on email, since for most of us that comprises 90% of our communication today.Here are five ways to make a positive impression with your email messages:

Respond in a timely manner. I can’t overstate the importance of this. As I have said elsewhere, to whatever extent I have been successful, it is due in large part to the fact that I am generally been very responsive. My goal is to respond to all emails the same day I receive them.
Address the sender personally. Don’t just start writing. Use the person’s name. Nothing is sweeter to the recipient’s ear than their own name. And in the age of unprecedented spam, using a person’s name indicates that you are a real person, not a robot.
Use proper grammar. You don’t have to obsess about this, but observe the basics: use complete sentences, check your punctuation and spelling, and proofread your message. And please, don’t use ALL CAPS. If you are feeling a little insecure about this, I highly recommend that you read a basic English grammar book, like English Grammar for Dummies.
Keep the message short and your intention clear. As a recipient, there is nothing worse than receiving a long message from someone, reading it, and still not knowing what the person wants or is saying. When in doubt, use short sentences, short paragraphs, and short messages.
Use a proper signature block. Use your email program to create a standardized, email signature that includes your full name, logo, company, address, telephone numbers, website or blog, twitter handle, etc. In my opinion, it should be simple but professional.

You may not have to impress a professor of phonetics, but your peers, subordinates, superiors, and external business associates will still come to conclusions about you, based on your oral and written communication skills. Therefore, it is worth taking time to improve these skills and become intentional about how you communicate.

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