I remember the first time an e-mail blew up in my face. I wrote two sentences that included factual information and the other person assumed I was accusing her of not doing her job. She wrote back a snippy response and before I knew it, war had been declared. After we met face to face and talked about it, she confessed she was having a bad day and took dramatic license by adding in sarcasm as she read my words. I had an apology to make, too. I didn’t realize how important it was to her that I began with a personalized comment such as, “Good morning, Lisa!” It made my e-mails seem more human and less accusatory.

Do you take dramatic license when reading your e-mails? Here is a quick test. Who do you picture when you read the following e-mail?

Hey Jim-
I got a message that you wanted pricing and that you left a few messages. My bad-I was in sales training all week! Brutal! Wood you be able to talk Friday? I can squeeze you in after lunch. How’s 2:30 sound?
Bobby

Did you picture Will Farrel? Al Pacino? Chris Rock? What would your impression be if this was a sales rep speaking with a prospective customer?

E-mail communication affects our sales efforts and business relationships. Often it’s the first or second opportunity to make an impression and sets the tone for all future interaction. Let’s set some ground rules for good e-mail communication.
E-mailing a customer or prospect
1) Your first e-mail communication needs to have the look and feel of a formal business letter. It should have a greeting such as “Dear Mary” and a closing comment such as “Best wishes”.
2) Include your name, title and contact information at the end of the e-mail.
3) Proof read before you hit send. Look for common errors such as using “your” when you should use “you’re”.
4) Be considerate of the person’s time by being concise. Lengthy e-mails are a turn-off.

E-mailing a co-worker
1) Begin your e-mail with a greeting such as “good morning” or “Hi Joe”.
2) Add in something that will be an encouragement such as a thank you or wish the person a nice day.
3) Be considerate of the person’s time by being concise. Lengthy e-mails are a turn-off.
4) When emailing a co-worker, keep in mind that everything you write can be forwarded to someone else without your knowledge or consent. Make sure that anything you write is safe for anyone’s eyes.

One final tip, when you read an e-mail imagine that whoever wrote it is smiling. You may enjoy e-mail a lot more!