eNewsletter - 1st Quarter 2010
How Not To Ruin Your Business Reputation! Write Now!
By Sue Hershkowitz-Coore, CSP
www.SpeakerSue.com
Copyright 2010
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Think of the last email you received from someone you didn't
know. How quickly did you form an opinion of that person? Whether it was a
colleague in another division or a vendor prospecting for your business, within
a second or two, you made a judgment call about the writer's credibility and
the value of the e-message.
Email, when used right, builds relationships and expands networks.
When used thoughtlessly, it can pretty much ruin a business reputation*. A
poorly written email doesn't just get deleted; it can diminish productivity, destroy
sales and decimate morale.
Wake Up
and Smell the Coffee.
If we don't bother to take extra effort to create a positive
impression when writing to people we don't know (or don't know well), it's even
easier to be sloppy when writing to people we do. Just because you have a
relationship (co-worker, boss, customer) doesn't mean it's okay to ignore details
like grammar and spelling.
Think of it this way: Do you really want to look your worst
in front of the people who matter the most? And even if they love you enough to
overlook your lack of attention to detail, what if they forward your message to
someone who doesn't have the same tolerance or the same connection with you? If
you aren't going to care enough to pay attention to the details, someone else
will.
You're Not That Important.
Okay. You are. But could you still value your recipients'
time? They are, after all, responsible for giving you the result you want. Help
them!
If, for instance, they ask if April 1 at 1pm is a convenient
time to meet, please (please, please) don't email back: No (unless of course it's a supplier being too pushy, and then,
really, there is no reason to respond at all). Offer an alternative time. Be
kind to them and save yourself the back-forth that wastes time and elevates
blood pressure!
If you don't understand what they want (even if it's because
they wrote a poor email), please don't punish them, and yourself, by responding:
don't know what you want. Instead,
choose an option that is likely to improve your relationship and your
reputation. Help them by writing back something like: "Joe, Can you clarify what you mean by "......"? Thanks!" Alternately,
you might save a huge amount of time by just picking up the phone to find out.
If you receive an email and you're on a list with a million
(or even five) others, don't hit reply to all. Consider if everyone on that
list really needs to know what you think. If you're adding substantial
information - really important stuff that will save the earth or your
colleagues' day - go for it. Otherwise, please be kind and reply only to those
people who may care.
Be a Twit.
Even if you don't tweet, you've probably heard about Twitter
- the social media tool that enables you to communicate complete messages,
using a maximum of 140 characters. Email doesn't have to be just 140
characters; it does need to be as concise, clear, direct and positive as
possible.
Brief is a great email goal. Just be sure you're conveying
both the intent and the content that your reader needs to give
you a good result. When brief writing borders on blunt, you'll be smart to add
more information to help your reader want
to read and respond to you.
A three word message like "Here you go" when attached to a proposal is blunt (and poor
selling).
A short response like "Do
it" from a department manager to a staff member who wrote a very long, very
detailed email asking for assistance with a business issue she was struggling
with, isn't just blunt, it's also unkind.
A brief response from a client to a vendor's inquiry about a
90-day late payment that included nothing more than "Your invoice has been submitted for payment" is blunt and the
(inadvertent) interpretation can be painful.
In each case, productivity is harmed (particularly ironic
because some people claim to keep emails short to boost it). When writing in a
blunt fashion, your reader wastes time trying to figure out what was intended
and loses more time following-up for clarification. And if poor productivity
isn't bad enough, when email writers don't care enough to send their very best,
profits and morale also plummet.
Here's the bottom line: thoughtlessly written email costs
plenty! If you want to improve your business reputation and enhance your brand
image, craft every email to show you care about the recipient. You'll save
time, increase productivity, drive revenue and be perceived as the professional
you are.
*Nearly a third of
survey respondents (32%) said they have stopped doing business with at least
one company altogether as a result of its poor email practices - Merkle (Feb.
2009)
__________________________________________________________
Called "a great motivational speaker filtered through a bit
of the comedic genius of Rita Rudner," SpeakerSue - Sue
Hershkowitz-Coore - is an award winning speaker and trainer. Author of Power Sales Writing
(McGraw Hill) and How to Say
It to Sell It (Prentice Hall), Sue transforms the way
organizations communicate. Check Sue's schedule to see if
she is available for your next meeting! [www.SpeakerSue.com] Read her blog SpeakerSueSays; follow her on Twitter, and download her iPhone App, Sales Talk, today.
It's free!
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