It Is All About the Details

The details that create a positive impression are so very important to those who rely on e-mail as their sole mode of communication with distant family members and many times take very little effort to integrate.

Those darned details like saying “Hello” as an opening greeting, not attaching 5M files without notice and spell checking. Little details of what you want to do versus what you end up doing combined with how you do it can make a big difference in so many subtle ways.

From taking the time to type in complete sentences and adding a nice “Thank you in advance!” at the end of your e-mail to addressing the recipient by name. Little details like this can make a huge impact. Especially considering many others communicate as though they didn’t make it out of grade school!
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Understanding “Free Speach” Rights

WARNING: THIS IS A RANT! If you don’t like strong opinions — stop reading now!

Oh how bold we are when safely hiding behind these screens! How accusatory, how rude, how darned arrogant and belligerent some can be! They don’t post their commentary on my Blog or Etiquette Forums. Instead they e-mail me privately with their slurs and innuendo.

In the last two weeks almost on a daily basis I have received accusatory, inflammatory and insulting e-mails from those who don’t like something I said — they don’t know me and assume what I meant. Rather than share why they disagree with what was supposedly said, they threaten and name-call. These e-mails make it clear I still have my work cut out for me (read my tag-line at the top of this page).
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“That is Not What I Meant” Doesn’t Cut it!

I received an e-mail the other day from a potential client that included several accusations and very demanding comments about how, if they chose to work with me, I would run my business. Clearly this person had some bad experiences in the past with others they chose to work with and got burned. That was now being passed on to me to compensate for.

What type of impression do you think the approach will have? Not a good one! Any consultant worth their salt would run in the opposite direction of any potential client that approached them in this manner.

I am in the envious position of choosing who I work with. Come at me like that and you can bet I’ll be too busy to consider your project. I do not read anything into e-mails sent to me, I take them at their face value based on the choice of words used.

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A Little Courtesy Goes a Long Way

I was wacked with the cold of the century recently. It was one of the few times since I started my Technology Consulting business over 10 years ago that I did not at the very least check email on Saturday.

I didn’t go near my computer on that Saturday or Sunday, the reason being just to have to think seemed too much of a challenge - this cold kicked me in the butt! So, I spent the weekend on the couch with my new best friend — a box of tissues.

The reason I make a point of at least checking email on Saturdays is to keep my inbox clear and to address any emergencies (perceived or otherwise) that may have come up. Not doing so this past Saturday left me with over 1,500 e-mails to wade through on Monday morning.

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