6 Do’s and Don’ts of Email Etiquette
Thursday, 08 January 2009 08:30
The use of email can be a huge timesaver. It can help you reach more customers faster and improve your marketing efforts. But, if used incorrectly, email can make you (and your business) look stupid.
The following are a few rules to keep in mind when using email. This list is, by no means definitive, but should help you avoid the major no-nos.
1. Don’t share my email address.
If I have provided you with permission to email me about your business, you may do that. However, too many times I have received emails in which I am one of 50 recipients whose email addresses are all stuffed into the ‘To’ or ‘Cc’ field.
If you are going to send your email to a list of unrelated people either use an email list manager (such as Constant Contact), send individual emails, or use the ‘Bcc’ field. ‘Bcc’ stands for blind carbon copy. ‘Bcc’ allows you to send to multiple recipients without disclosing email addresses.
2. Don’t be a list scavenger.
If someone, out of sheer ignorance, has sent you an email that includes all the email addresses in their list, you do not have permission to email this list yourself. Please do not send me any info about your events, products, services or other such spam. If you do, you can be pretty sure that I will never become a customer.
3. Don’t reply all.
Again, if you receive an email in which you are one of a number of recipients and you wish to tell the owner that you do not wish to receive further emails, don’t tell the whole list. This is what the reply button is for. Use it.
4. Don’t spam.
People still don’t understand this one. Do not send me unsolicited offers to purchase your goods and services or attend your events. If you don’t know me, and you think you have something I may be interested in, get to know me before you try to sell me something. Offer to help me in some way. This means real, selfless help. No matter how great you think your products and services are, offering them to me is not help.
5. Keep it personal.
Email is a great way to stay connected to current and potential customers. If I have given you permission to email me, do it! Send me accessible, informative information. Remind me that I gave you permission to email me and provide me with something of value so that I continue to give you permission.
6. Use an email signature.
Using an email signature allows you to make sure you include exactly what you need to. Of course it’s a good idea to have your contact information in your signature, but you should also include any current promotions, links to recent blog posts or other recent activities.
7. Use spell check.
If you want to look professional, you should check all your emails for typos and spelling errors. This is especially important with new or potential customers with whom you have yet to build a relationship.
