by Judith Kallos, Business E-mail Expert
E-mail is one of your business' strongest branding and marketing tools. Your e-mail communications are many times one of the first things new customers will see and use to determine if they want to do business with you. Perception is the only reality online!
Let's talk about the five most common mistakes that can lend to you not being perceived as the professional and credible business person that you are:
1. From Field Display: Your name should be type properly: John A. Doe. Not john a doe, john or JOHN A DOE. No nicknames, hobby handles, user-names. Only your formal name typed in proper case will do ñ on all your devices.
2. Subject Field: Your Subject field should contain a short and accurate description of the subject of your e-mail, again, using proper case ñ sans hype. Not all caps, not all small case and not misleading in any way. You want to be sure the recipient recognizes your e-mail as one that they are expecting.
3. Greetings and Closings: Each and every business e-mail should start with a greeting and end with a closing that reflects the proper level of formality. If you are e-mailing a new customer, the highest level of formality should be practiced until they provide an indication otherwise. In business, formalities are a sign of respect. Becoming too informal too soon may not be appreciated by your potential customer.
4. Grammar and Typos: Never rely solely on your spell check. Read your important business e-mails out loud before sending to ensure they read correctly and relay the intent and tone you desire.
5. Attachments: Refrain from sending unannounced large attachments ñ especially outside of business hours. Always ask first when would be the best time to send your attachments and let the other party know the format you will be sending in to ensure they have the same software as you do. Send an Excel file that the potential customer didn't ask for, who just so happens to not have Excel, isn't productive -- or impressive.
These are five issues you need to minimally take into consideration with each and every single business e-mail correspondence that you send. By making these miniscule efforts, you will easily outshine those competitors who underestimate the importance of business e-mail etiquette basics.
About the Author:
Judith Kallos is an experienced good-humored Technology Muse who has offered WordPress Consulting and Web Site services for over a decade. Be sure to check out her popular Business Email Etiquette Web Site! too.