E-mail Etiquette: “Attract More Bees with Honey”

December 1, 2009 by Judith

This saying applies to e-mail as well. By putting in the extra effort and thought into being a pleasure to communicate with will get better results.

Courtesy isn’t only about holding doors open, saying thank you or helping a neighbor — it applies to e-mail as well. By adding courtesy, you are then perceived as someone the other side will want to assist, respond to, go the extra mile for.

We all get a ton of e-mails. To the point where we sometimes have to prioritize and be selective with whom we are going to respond to, in how much detail — or if at all.

When you don’t include a greeting, a kind question or inquiry and a thank you in advance for your help and sign your name, your request is viewed as demanding and terse.

For example:

Subject: info needed

i need to know how to get the details organized the way i like. i am wiling to pay a small fee for your assistance but don’t want to get ripped off.

please rely ASAP!!!!!

Now, how much better is this with just a little effort and courtesy?

Hello, Judith:

I’ve reviewed your site and am hoping you could be of assistance. Here is what I would like to accomplish (details here….).

If this is something you can help me with, please let me know at your convenience what will be involved in time and cost.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
John Doe

To think that how you e-mail doesn’t make a difference is naive at best. To think that you will have those on the other side scrambling to reply (instead of hitting delete) to a request like the first is simply naive.

Courtesy, consideration and taking the time to communicate as a civil human being will speak volumes as to what it will be like to work with you, help you, hire you, acknowledge your request.

Taking the time, making the time to put your best foot forward is always time well spent!

Comments

2 Responses to “E-mail Etiquette: “Attract More Bees with Honey””

Rodney on December 4th, 2009 12:52 am

Judith, I read on one of your posts (and now can’t find it again!) about how Netiquette is constantly changing, and on pondering I realise there are very important ramifications lurking here, so wonder if you can explain more please. Certainly there are aspects of both Netiquette and Etiquette I don’t appreciate, but I see this as different from change. Or am I taking you too literally, and you just meant, which I certainly embrace, that we all have more to learn all the time?
Judith on December 9th, 2009 5:28 pm

Hey, Rodney:

Netiquette (NETwork etTIQUETTE) has evolved from when the term was first created in the late 80s early 90s referring to government and educational use of networks to something that now folks from every walk of life, country, profession are using.

With that said, I don’t believe Netiquette/E-mail Etiquette is evolving all that much after that transition. Common courtesies, good writing skills and an understanding of how to use the technology in which you are participating when it comes to using e-mail software, formatting, attachments etc. has pretty much not changed much over the past decade. It is what it is as far as the simple little things we can all do on a regular basis to show we “get it” and are a pleasure to communicate with.

That’s not to say when it comes to technology in general that we don’t continue learning. I am learning new things almost on a daily basis in my consulting practice when it comes to coding, marketing, design and all that goes with it.

That’s why I am at times perplexed and others surprised at why embracing the concepts of E-mail Etiquette are something that some ignore and others have a visceral reaction to — too me it is a bit of knowlege common sense combined with courtesy. All of which can easily be obtained from a quick review of any of my sites…

HTH! ;-)