Jeffrey Gitomer had a rant the other day about his disdain for “Out of the office” e-mails and other e-mail blunders. I figured I’d use this opportunity to discuss that and other e-mail “no-no’s” and some basic email etiquette rules.
Out of the Office Reply - I mentioned above Jeffrey Gitomer has a disdain for “Out of the Office” autoreply’s. Says Gitomer of receiving Out of Office autoreply’s - “Why are you telling me this? I didn’t write you to find out what you’re doing, I wrote to communicate a message, ask a question, or get information that I require. Do you stay in touch with your customers and contacts any other time than when you’re in the office? Because email is instant, everyone feels that their response needs to be instant. In the old, old days, people sent letters. In the near old days, they sent faxes. When you got either of these documents, you never told anybody what you were doing, you just responded - as it should be with email. But it’s not. And it’s rude.” Read Gitomer’s full article here.
Do not use return reply requested. It’s none of your business when or if I open my mail. Read Receipts have a purpose - if used very rarely and sparingly. Since e-mail has replaced USPS and Fed Ex in many situations, sometimes we need to know that someone received and e-mail. Some examples - submitting a proposal or bid with a due date/time, sending bidders formal addenda, etc. Use this sparingly.
Your e-mail is NOT MY highest priority - likely. Some folks mark all their e-mail Highest Priority or Urgent. This is like crying wolf with every e-mail. Eventually none of them are urgent. In fact, so many folks do this, I often don’t even notice when an e-mail is marked urgent.
Keep your e-mail’s professional. Remember, this is business correspondence, not buddy jargon. Here’s some ideas from Productivity 501. Also, don’t use a cute letterhead or background picture. This is formal business correspondence. Do use a formal, standard signature line.
Before you hit the send button, re-read what you have written. I guarantee you, you’ll find at least two errors, and think of better wording you could have used. If there’s a secret to a great e-mail, it’s not just in the writing, it’s in the editing. If it’s important, read the e-mail aloud. Read it for attitude - does it convey the demeanor you want? Then picture yourself as the recipient. If you’re happy with both, and you’ve edited it, hit the send button.
Do NOT send very large attachment without permission. Some folks may not have super fast broadband connections. Even on an ISDN connection, a 10 MB file can take 15-20 minutes. If you happen to be on a trip and connecting via modem or mobile wireless, it can take hours. You’ve effectively high-jacked their computer and they may have critical e-mails they need to send/recieve. One option is to use services like You Send It. You upload your file to You Send It an it sends and e-mail to your recipient with instructions how to connect and download the attachment.
Here are some other resources for e-mail etiquette:
Marketing Profs
Netmanners
Remember, re-read what you’re about to send. Be nice; always.
