Expedient Communication with a Hitch
E-mail is a home-based entrepreneur's dream. It's convenient, fast, saves time and money. The pace at which we send these messages and the expectation of how quickly we expect a response is getting faster and faster.
However, if you think it is easier to send an e-mail than a business letter or typewritten memo, think again. There's a thorn on the e-mailrose! Written communication is perhaps the most difficult form of communication. This is because we have a tendency to write in shorthand, expecting our reader to know what is in our minds at the time we are writing. Consequently, written communication is often confusing and can hurt your professional image.
Because people can't see or talk to you through your e-mail, it becomes your professional image to them. Your preparation of e-mail responses is just as important as the preparation of business letters you once churned out on the typewriter.
Here are 15 tips guaranteed to boost your professional image using e-mail:
- E-mail is written communication, and that means complete sentences are a must. Spelling and grammar count, so always use the spell check and grammar feature on your computer before you hit the Send button.
- Short, concise e-mails are best. Organize your thoughts and write short sentences and short paragraphs. Whenever possible, limit your message to two screens or less.
- Create a subject line that summarizes your message. This facilitates the initial review or later retrieval of messages.
- Don't send messages to people who don't need to receive them. Carefully select the intended audience for your message.
- Don't participate in Internet junk mail and chain letters. If you receive these kinds of messages, simply hit the Delete key and move on.
- Healthy debate on e-mail is okay, but know when it's time to pick up the phone or have a dialogue in person.
- It's appropriate to sign your e-mails. Often, when a number of messages have been forwarded or replied to, it becomes difficult to sort through and determine who sent which message.
- Courtesy and a presumption of innocence work miracles in e-mail messages. When you are writing a message, imagine that you are looking directly at the person and talking with him or her. And, if you write an e-mail while angry, don't send it until you can review it away from the heat of the moment.
- Using boldface type or all capital letters is considered impolite. THIS LOOKS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING in e-mail language.
- Carefully consider the use, and possible misuse of blind carbon copies (BCCs), where each person who receives a message doesn't know the identity of the other recipients. Using BCC can create an atmosphere of distrust, thereby undermining your communication efforts.
- Check your e-mail a minimum of once a day. Whenever possible, respond immediately. If you know your response will take longer than normal, send a message to say you have received the message and will follow up.
- Use the Reply to All feature very sparingly when responding to messages. If a reply is required, respond only to the person who sent the original message, or at least limit your message to a smaller audience.
- If you need a response, be very specific about when you expect a response and what you expect that response to contain.
- Ask permission before forwarding others e-mail or portions thereof, even if it's good news. Mary may not want the world to know her news.
- E-mail should never replace personal interaction, ongoing dialogue, and spirited debate.
Finally, the most basic rule ofcorrespondence still applies: be careful not to put anything in writing that you wouldn't say in person. Once it's on paper or once you've hit the Send button, it's impossible to take it back. Still, all in all, e-mail is a wonderful way to conveniently communicate and can help your business if you follow these tips.
Today's Actions for Improving Your E-mail Messages
- Identify three tips from the list above that you want to incorporate into your e-mails this week.
- Next week, pick three more.
- Enjoy clearer communication and fewer misunderstandings!
This is an excerpt from the best selling book Build It Big: 101 Insider Secrets From Top Direct Selling Experts, brought to you by the Direct Selling Women's Alliance (DSWA). The DSWA provides industry-specific education, resources and support to direct sellers in more than twelve countries, representing over 275 companies.
" Build It Big " visit http://www.mydswa.org/bib.asp. To learn about the benefits of becoming a member of the DSWA, visit http://www.mydswa.org/member_program.asp.
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