Business Email Etiquette

How you email does in fact reflect on how you run your business.  Part of growing and nurturing relationships, partnerships and new opportunities is to show, by your actions, that you do in fact respect and understand the value of the time of those who you communicate with.

One way to do this is to take your time to gather your thoughts to ensure you can convey your message in one concise email.  All too often I see business onliners sending off one sentence thoughts.  Followed by another, then another, then another, then another…

Is that how you run your business?  In random one thought actions that because they are not thought through do not contain the detail required?  How do you think it looks when you type one thing and then a moment later communicate a different message — because you clearly didn’t think the entire topic through?  Doesn’t lend confidence to the perception that you run a ship-shape-shop does it?

These type of communicators reflect an inability to organize their communications while bombarding the other side with unorganized blurts rather than taking their time to ensure smooth communications in the least amount of emails possible.  This “style” simply lends to a poor perception of one’s organizational and communication abilities and can easily cause misunderstandings — and the other side more work, emails and efforts than necessary.

So when you send requests to others, sit down and think the whole topic through to ensure you are sending one email that covers all the bases in one fell swoop.  You’ll show a respect for the other side’s time that will most certainly be appreciated.  As an added benefit you will actually be able to organize your own emails better — and less of them.

A site visitor was curios and pondered:

I belong to a global organization. Is there a source that gives cultural guidelines for sending e-mails to team members (or customers) of different elasticities and nationalities? Or, in our global electronic age, does the culture element matter? I often wonder how a recipient would react to a different greeting or closing from his or her unique cultural perspective. Thanks for your help.

Email etiquette is email etiquette. Any differences that would apply on business letterhead, would certainly apply in email — although I cannot think of any specifics in that regard. Where the cultural difference comes into play in email is reflecting the proper level of formality as a sign of respect.

How a recipient would react based on his or her unique cultural perspective is where the level of formality is involved. One cannot assume that the entire globe is as informal as most here in the United States assume  when it comes to their business email practices. That is why, when it comes to business, I advise to maintain the highest level of formalities until which time the other side reflects otherwise.

With that being said, when forming global relationships it behooves businessmen and women to become familiar with the cultures of those they intend on doing business with. That’s simply smart business and helps to ensure they don’t use any terms or phrases that may cause misconceptions or reflect a lack of understanding or respect for others culture.

Something I discuss quite a bit over on my consulting site is the importance of the conversation when it comes to social media networking.  First, let’s look at some definitions:

Networking: a supportive system of sharing information and services among individuals and groups having a common interest

Social: seeking or enjoying the companionship of others; friendly; sociable; gregarious

What many business owners fail to realize is that networking on FaceBook, LinkedIn and other business networking sites, is that these site are not just an venue to try and sell your wares.   At these sites, in these “networks”, people are sharing information, having discussions, asking for advice — they are having a conversation!

Social media networking is purely and solely about the conversation. Quality conversations take each participant’s time and commitment.   It is not about getting as many contacts or “friends” on your list that you do not know and then marketing to them.  They didn’t ask for your information — you are a social media spammer.  And you’ll hear about it!

Instead, you need to participate, help, share, encourage and advise and by doing so those in your network will look to you when they need your product or service.  Use the networking sites features to there full advantage to add info, note your status, provided updates.  That’s what networking is about!

In their zeal to get business, many who simply do not know any better yet, begin their sales pitchy “contributions” that do nothing but get them removed from other’s networks.  Pretty much the only time you would blatantly discuss your product or service to your network is when one of them asks their network for recommendations or you directly for more information.

Even still you don’t reply or post to the group in an overly hypey sales pitchy manner.  Instead a courteous, concise and brief reply with a link to your site is sufficient. Remember, if anyone in your network wants to know what you do, they  can visit your profile which has everything they want to know — including a link to your site.

The most ineffective thing you can do is be a social media spammer.  Concentrate on helping, mentoring and being part of the conversation — and the leads will follow.

Email autoresponders, also known as automatic replies or away/vacation messages are used quite often without a full understanding of how and when they should be used. While this email tool has many effective and useful applications, there are also times when using an autoresponder is not recommended.

Here are five easy tips to help you use your autoresponders properly with knowledge, understanding and courtesy:

1. When using autoresponders for your business away message, engage the autoresponder just before your leave the office. Then, write yourself a note to disengage the autoresponder so it is one of the first things you do when upon your return. Nothing smacks of lack of organization or attention to detail than away messages still going out after you are back in the office and available for business communications.
2. A greeting and a closing including your name and title should be part of your away message. Business away messages should also include your name, the time-frame you will be unavailable as well as the name, phone number and email address of someone that can be contacted in your absence.
3. Autoresponders used to confirm receipt of an inquiry or for disseminating commonly asked for information (”Click here to get our automated message on…”) need to have an email address in the From: field that is not the same as that of the autoresponder. Folks will hit reply to ask questions or give you their input. Rather than having them get another copy of what they’ve already received, replies should go to a different account.
4. When subscribing to email lists, forums, discussion boards or when simply requesting information, refrain from using an email address that has an automated response attached to it. Virtual loops can be created that can create literally thousands of back and forth emails when an address with an autoresponder makes a request to another email address using an autoresponder. The inquirer makes their request, the request gets replied to by an autoresponder, the inquirer’s autoresponder goes back to the address that responded, which responds again and this back and forth will go on until one side or the other shuts down their autoresponders (or the server crashes).
5. When engaging an autoresponder away message on an email address that you know you have used to subscribe to email lists, forums, Blogs or discussion boards, be sure to unsubscribe from all those services and resubscribe when you come back. This will prevent your message from being repeatedly sent out to those also subscribed who are not emailing you directly. To avoid this situation all together, have an email address that you use specifically for such activities.

Autoresponders are a great tool and when used appropriately can help keep others informed. Keep these issues in mind so that when you do use autoresponders, they are viewed as more of a benefit than an annoyance.