From the category archives:
I received an email today that contained “Thanks, Susan” as the signature.
Thanks, as a closing, and as an exchange wrap up, is overused in business email:
Do not use “Thank You,” and your name as a signature. Every email you send will not need to convey thanks at the end, so do not automate this.
If you [...]
{ 0 comments }
An article this month in the Wall Street Journal, “Why Email No Longer Rules…” has stirred controversy.
“Email has had a good run as king of communications. But its reign is over.”
The author, Jessica Vascellaro, argues that just-in-time communication, such as Twitter, Facebook, and the upcoming Google Wave offer a constant stream of information. Conversely, email [...]
{ 3 comments }
Recent research confirms the volume of email continues to increase.
The technology marketing research firm Radicati predicts that this year the average office worker will send and receive about 199 emails per day! That is nearly 200 separate messages, each requiring your focus and action. Even if you can quickly delete an email after skimming it, [...]
{ 2 comments }
This month’s newsletter explained a very effective, but often overlooked, technique to disentangle yourself from convoluted, unfocused, irate or too lengthy emails. Shift the business email to a conversation.
Simply respond, “Let’s discuss over the phone. What is your number and when is a good time to call?”
A wise client who works in the financial services [...]
{ 1 comment }
If you use Gmail (which I do for both my business and personal accounts), a new Tasks feature will greatly help you manage email overload. I’ve been testing it out for a few weeks. It’s fantastic for keeping a clear inbox, critical to managing email overload.
The task features are very basic, but that’s what I [...]
{ 0 comments }
Gmail launched a new tool last week that helps prevent business email mishaps: the “Undo Send” feature.
This feature allows the sender to recall a message, but only within 5 seconds of sending. It’s useful if you notice that you inadvertently clicked “reply to all” instead of replying to one recipient, or forgot to include an [...]
{ 1 comment }
The email signature I received today from a Human Resource manager included this quote:
“Just when the caterpillar thought its’ life was over, it became a butterfly.”
While I often tend to agree with these lovely insights theoretically, they don’t belong in a business email. They are distracting from the core message. Business email volume is heavy, [...]
{ 0 comments }
I recently wrote about correct salutations for business letters and business email, prompting a few clients to ask about which salutations work well for a business email to a group.
If the group is small enough – five or less – the very best salutation is to use recipients’ names. This also indicates the message is [...]
{ 5 comments }
Email signatures may be the best-kept secret in the marketing world, but new research shows few companies take advantage of an advertising feature that can reach many thousands of potential customers who are especially valuable since they have already expressed an interest in your product or services.
The advantages of email signatures:
* They offer opportunity for [...]
{ 2 comments }
