In our last blog, we highlighted the fact that MeloTel does a lot of business over the phone. We’re guessing you do as well. But, in 2016, there is no shortage of emails being sent. It’s safe bet to say that you likely send your fair share of business emails on any given day. Yes, email is right up there with phone calls when it comes to the most popular ways to communicate to customers and colleagues in the business world today. But are you an excellent emailer?
Here are five methods of maintaining excellent email etiquette:
1. Avoid the long winded approach. Some people get caught up in the fact that emails allow for conversations to be had without being interrupted. Even though emails offer you the capability to write to your heart’s content, it’s always wise to keep things short and sweet. Stick to key points and be sure to answer questions concisely. Remember that both you and your recipients likely have a lot of emails to get to each day. Make them easy to read and respond to.
2. Have clear and precise subject lines. Emails are great ways to file and document conversations based on specific topics. This is where appropriate subject lines come in handy. Without them, it’s hard to manage the long list of emails you get each day. Make it so that each email you send is appropriately titled and avoid speaking on separate topics in the same thread. That way, you’ll avoid confusing your various conversations.
3. Always be mindful of your tone. It’s important to keep in mind that emails don’t allow you to use body language, facial expressions or hand gestures to communicate your points. Make sure that both the tone and exact verbiage you choose is appropriate. It’s easy to misunderstand a person’s tone when messages are sent in the written form. So that your words are not taken out of context, be sure to limit sarcasm and other unprofessional inflections.
4. Proofread. Do your due diligence and take a few extra moments to ensure that what you’ve written is a respectful form of communication worthy of representing your business. The last thing you want is to press “send” before noticing grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. This is especially important if you happen to be responding to an email on your smartphone. Those auto-correct features tend to make messes of what people write!
5. Write as if your email is being read by the public. Remember that you have an image to uphold. The image of your business is one that you want to be seen as positive by all those who come into contact with it. Assuming your emails are private is a mistake. If you write something that is deemed inappropriate or out of character for your brand, be aware that it can be spread around very quickly. Cover your tracks and stay professional at all times.
At MeloTel, we offer Domain, Email & Web Hosting to ensure that our customers enjoy hosting that allows for all of their communications to be protected by encrypted SSL certificates. Cheap hosting, this is not! We offer services that establish a Fortune 500 configuration for even the smallest of businesses. None of our plans require any term commitment. You are free to cancel at any time. But we can’t imagine that you will!
For more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 1-888-MELOTEL or use the “Live Chat Support” feature on our website!