Before You Click Submit Tip

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent time completing an online form, inputting all my questions, concerns or comments only to click the Submit button and the form clears. It doesn’t process, I get logged out or I get some sort of error.

You’ve probably experienced this one too many times as well. There are so many unknowns out there that can cause a form to not process. Your connection or incompletion of certain field or Webmaster coding errors.

The most common reason for me is getting logged out. Many sites set an inactivity limit and automatically log you out for security reasons. The one that bags me most is PayPal. I’ll log in, get a phone call or get distracted and have to work on something else. I then click the Submit button on a money request or invoice to only find that I’ve been logged out and have lost all the form input I spent time creating.

What I’ve done is I have gotten into the habit of copying (hi-lite,right click, copy) all the content in the comments or description field before I click Submit on any form. This way if I experience any of the issues above, I can relogin and simply paste the content back into that field and save some time. You still have to enter your personal details but the actual comments are what I take time most to ensure are clear, concise and typo-free.

By copying the main content field of any form you are completing before clicking that Submit button you save time and don’t have to recreate the text you want to send if something happens and it is lost. Good habit to get into!

Asking for Help Via E-mail

Technology can frustrate even the most experienced of us. Whether it be e-mail issues, Web site issues, order concerns or follow-ups, when ever you are asking someone to be of assistance, it is best you do so humbly and with courtesy.

Yes, you can do whatever you want but be aware that by not making the extra effort to communicate properly, can have negative perceptions. When you need assistance, you need to be aware that the person on the other side, doesn’t have to help you as fast, as much or in the manner you assume they should. They are probably busy with other responsibilities and your request is just one of many they need to get to.

So, use some common sense. When asking for assistance, be on your best behavior and use proper e-mail etiquette, sentence structure and grammar. Spell-check so you don’t appear to be an illiterate that didn’t want to take the time to communicate with clarity when asking for help.

Think about it… Who are you going to jump to help? Those who make demands in cryptic sentences without a thank you or tid-bit of appreciation for what they are asking you to do for them? Or the person who sends their request starting with a nice greeting, all the details you need to help them clearly included and ending with a “Thanks for your help”?

I know I jump to help those who e-mail me with courtesy, kindness and clarity. Those who can’t take the time to be courteous, who are demanding, or can’t take the time to communicate as though they made it out of the 6th grade, will have to wait until I’ve help the others who realize the important of asking for assistance nicely.

Degrees in Signature Files

A site visitor writes:

Is it customary to put the type of college degree you’ve earned in your signature block? For example, John Doe, MBA…or something to that effect?

You bet! Of course, only if you really have an MBA.
Signature files provide a brief identification of who you are, and in business; your credentials. Now, that said, if you have tons of credentials it is best to only list the primary and point to your Web site for more information so you are not perceived as egotistical.

Also, once the communications are ongoing and less formal, you can remove all that alphabet soup from your sig file. Remember, you can have as many sig files as you desire with different levels of formality and information. Once someone knows you are an MBA, no need to have that tacked to the end of every e-mail.

Check out my article on the Dos and Don’t s of Signature File Use for more tips!

We All Make E-mail Mistakes

This difference between us is how we handle these errors in judgment or oversights once we discover they have been made. With e-mail in particular, the biggest mistake made is simply not paying attention to what you are doing.

I think everyone has adopted a way too casual viewpoint of e-mail so therefore they don’t give it the attention that it deserves and requires to be used properly (a.k.a. E-mail Etiquette). Hitting Reply to All with comments about some of those you are inadvertently Replying to, or adding folks to your e-mail blasts that didn’t ask you to, or even forwarding to all your contacts with their e-mail addresses exposed in the To: field rather than using the BCc: field as you should, are some of the top instances of when you will hear from disgruntled recipients.

All too often Senders think they have a right to do what they want — you know the free speech thing, online there are no rules, yada, yada, yada — wrong! Part of using technology and e-mail properly is taking the time to think about how your actions can affect the other side. That is where my tag line comes from:

“Using technology with knowledge, understanding and courtesy!”

If you send comments inadvertently to the wrong person that are improper, rude or plain old unacceptable, you need to humbly apologize. And, not by e-mail. Have some intestinal fortitude and apologize in person or if that is not possible, pick up the old fashioned telephone.

If a contact asks to be removed from your list that they didn’t ask to be on in the first place, promptly, kindly and professionally honor their request and apologize for any inconvenience. Only this approach may salvage the relationship.

When sending to everyone you know in the To: field thereby exposing your contacts to strangers; all you can do is grovel. There is no excuse for this breach of privacy and you need to let your contacts know you have now seen the light and will never do such a thing again.

Why we are a culture that is prone to point fingers or create excuses when we mess up is beyond me. If you make a mistake, don’t compound the issue by offering up reasons as to why you weren’t paying attention or do not understand the technology in which you are participating.

Learning from the experience and offering a prompt apology is a true sign character.

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