Musings

Writing an Email       

Our inboxes are inundated with jokes, spam, offers and other stuff.  Rarely do you find a "real" letter from a real person.   The best way to encourage wanted email vs. the other stuff is to write a good email yourself.  Here are some tips that might help.

MANNERS:  Just because you are no longer using a pen and ink you are not exempt from good manners.  A short, but pleasant greeting, even if it's just "hi", will alert the reader that you have something important to say.  Don't forget to add a "thank you" after your call to action.

THE TEXT:  Keep it short.  If you have a lot of information to share put it in a word document and attach it.  People read their email at lightning speed; they won't even bother to read more than they can in a few seconds.  Just preview the attachment in your note and ask them to take whatever action is indicated.  This will let them know that they have something to do, but not at this very minute. If you are forwarding something be sure to take out all the previous addresses.  There is nothing more frustrating than having to scroll thru multiple addresses to get to the message.  And remember, it is improper to forward or use the addresses of other people.This is one of the things to remember to avoid identity fraud; and it is illegal to send unsolicited email.

THE LOOK:  I learned in graphic design that most people can easily read a 4 inch line of text very comfortably.  They tend to lose continuity with a longer line of type and are likely to     misread a shorter one.  Consider your audience and your intention before adding any clip art or pictures; these may be perfect for a chatty note to a friend, but are very unprofessional in a business letter.  The same advice goes for uncommon colors and fancy fonts.

THE FOLLOW UP:  If your message included a call to action it is OK to send a reminder if the project is taking more time than you expected.  If the delay is causing a problem pick up the phone; this is still the fastest means of communication.

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How to Stamp Out SPAM

       Is your email box overflowing? Manyt of us have so much mail we could never handle it all; and most of it is unwanted anyway.

       The first thing you should do when you open your mailbox is to mark anything you don't want as SPAM.Your system will learn, in time, to recognize these addresses and block them automatically.You may also have to check your security settings to be sure they block at an appropriate level.

       Do not ever open any SPAM; this will flag your address as "live" and lead to even more junk mail.If possible, go to the sender's website to opt out of further mailings. Senders are required by law to let you opt out of any mailings, but they are not required to notify you if they opt you in.You will keep getting messages from them until you tell them to stop.

       Companies use unsolicited email for phishing.They make a living by selling your personal information to other marketers.Be very careful of who gets your information. Any time that you place an order online, donate to charity, or fill out a warranty card, you are giving up information that you may not want circulated.Do not respond to any online solicitations: if you want to participate in the offer contact the company directly.Order desks are often manned by contractors who are collecting your information on the side to sell.Whenever possible write in bold letters, "Do not sell my name or address".

        The last tip we offer is to change something in your name, like your middle initial, to track who is selling what to whom.You will then be able to contact them to remove your information from their files.If they do not comply, you can send your complaint to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643.  Include your complete name, address, zip code.They specialize in removing these pests from your life.This is the same address youwould use if you are getting too much snail mail, too.

       You will never be able to get rid of all your SPAM, but you can slow it down.You do have control over most of what comes into your email; try these tools to reduce the menace.

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