Type, edit, spell check, pause, ponder, and then hit send

Tuesday, June 03, 2008  by Susan Julien-Willson
Category: sales, selling, retailing, customers, marketing, communication

E-mail is an excellent communication vehicle but it has its own set of challenges. It's a great shortcut for salespeople, but, in my opinion, it should be combined with voice and face-to-face contact with customers and colleagues.

I am sure a few people reading this who know me well are snickering. How credible can my message on this be? After all, I love email. I find instant messaging a great way to capture someone's attention quickly. t's fun to text message. I am also becoming addicted to my new handheld device. But then, I've had my share of misinterpretations and embarrasments via e-mail messages.

Type, reread, edit, spell check, pause, and ponder -- then hit send. Have you ever hit send and then realized you forgot to check your spelling? Or replied to all with a message blaming someone on the cc: list for delaying a project or exceeding the budget? Or had to pick up the phone immediately to apologize for your anger or unfair judgment?

Consider the audience. Do you really need to send a silly joke to everyone in your address book? Does it make sense to send out strange photos or pleas for help from strangers? Is any of this relevant to customers? Be careful not to alienate, confuse, annoy, or anger your colleagues, customers, friends, and family. Relevant emails would be about products that could make their lives easier, healthier, better ... or offers that could save them time or money ... or free shipping on their next order ... or ... well, you get the gist.

I sometimes hear people at work comment on how much time they spend on reading/replying/composing emails. What does that tell you?

To be effective (or actually, just to be read before the delete key is hit), make sure your e-mail message is short, clear, and meaningful to the recipient. Especially if the recipient doesn't know you well.

Have any e-mail do's and don'ts to share?

Comments

# Christy Lee Dollar said on June 3, 2008 8:18 PM:

One item that many folks may not think of when is comes to email is that cc: (carbon copy) box.  Privacy is a big issue to a lot of people.  When you send a message to a distribution list, adding someone's email in the cc: box makes it visible to everyone who receives that message.  Instead, use the bcc: (blind carbon copy) box for multiple email addresses.  I know I sure appreciate it when my email is not broadcast to a whole list of people I may not want to have it!  

# Bridgett said on June 4, 2008 10:22 PM:

I recently was cced on an email filled with negative emotion. Over-the-top nastiness. I think,face-to-face, to have this person say what they wrote would be horrible. But to write it down, for someone able to read over and over again is devasting.

The written word lasts a heck of a long time, and has greater impact than the memory of what a person verbally says.

I learned a long time ago (the hard way) to wait 24 hours and let that hot email I just *had* to write, sit in the DRAFT folder. After the 24 hours, that email 100% of time either got recrafted, or when right in to the DELETED file.

# Susan Julien-Willson said on June 5, 2008 7:40 AM:

Christy and Bridgett,

Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your honesty. I lost a close relationship over a misunderstanding through email. Once the words are out, you can try to take them back ... but it's not always possible for the recipient to forgive and forget. E-mail is a wonderful communication tool, but with any communication vehicle, careful consideration should be given to the message and the audience. Again, thank you, for sharing your thoughts. sjw

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