7 trillion (or 7 lakh crore) e-mails were
sent by Internet users last year. The figure is expected to be much
higher this year. More than half the e-mails circulating through
Internet are estimated to be junk - jamming almost every e-mails
users mailbox.
The situation is frightening as even legitimate e-mail may get blocked
by spam filter or deleted by recipient without reading, assuming
it to be another junk mail or virus.
To be successful in e-business today - it is no longer enough to
locate right customer and send business proposal through e-mail.
You must make sure your e-mail communication has right format and
style to stand-out in a crowd and attract recipient's attention.
In previous issue, we discussed format of a professional e-mail.
In this issue - we discuss desirable style in business e-mail communication.
Who is the recipient of your e-mail ? How does he/she
read it ? Consider few issues on recipient's comfort
- Clear and Concise Message
Your recipient is likely to be a business professional,
hard pressed for time. He/she is likely to appreciate short, clear
message written in simple sentence without bombastic words.
It is my experience that many of us, Indians, are fond of using
difficult to find words in verbose, long-winded, flowery sentence,
that is a pain for most readers.
Most people read and respond their e-mails on a 12x12 inch monitor
mounted on a desktop PC or at best a Notebook computer while traveling.
It is certainly not as comfortable as reading a book or newspaper.
Remember, the practice of printing e-mails and then reading is
mostly confined to few Indians. Keep comfort level of recipient
in mind while writing your e-mail message.
Ideally, Your message should have following features:
- Simple sentences - using direct, conversational style. Avoid
indirect speech
- Use bullet-points rather than long description
- Well structured in paragraphs
- Not longer than half the size of A4 paper
- Liberal use of hyper links to your web-site or other sites
instead of long write-ups on company profile, history, management
etc
- Absolutely no misspelling - typos and misspells carry negative
image. Check your message with spell checker before sending
- Specific and Meaningful Subject
Arguably, the most important part of a business
e-mail is its subject line. Please read how to construct an effective
Subject line in a previous issue of Faida
- No Short-Cuts and Abbreviations
Business communication should not contain short-cuts
and abbreviations. Even common shortcuts like LOL (laughing out
loud), BTW (By the Way), 2 (to), 4 (for), u r (you are) etc. are
simply too casual for most business communication. What's hip
for one sender may be viewed as flip and disrespectful by a reader.
Leave those cutesy abbrs. for SMS - keep your business e-mails
free from such irritants.
- Irrelevant Quote
Don't quote back an entire message when only responding
to one or two points. Delete the excess and make a note at the
very top before starting the quotes. It is positively irritating
and annoying to receive a long e-mail full of irrelevant information
from your previous mail. Use quotes selectively, while responding
to specific question/issues raised by sender.
While sending e-mail to an acquaintance - it is bad manners to
pick any of his/her old-e-mails to respond. It might be convenient
as you do not have to type recipient's e-mail address - but positively
confusing for the reader. Use address book to pick e-mails - Not
'Inbox' or 'Sent' folders
- Avoid File Attachments
Never send file attachments without prior permission
from the recipient. Besides getting bulky - your e-mail message
becomes an immediate suspect as most e-mail viruses and worms
are sent through file attachments. The recipient may not accept
your e-mail and delete without reading.
- Add Prestige - Use Business E-mail
Business e-mail address gives a professional look
to your e-mails and at the same time help you establish your identity.
An anonymous e-mail address like jasmine_export@abcdfreemail.com
does not inspire much confidence. After all, anybody can subscribe
to a free e-mail address and vanish without a trace. One can not
even find name, address or country of origin of the sender
On the other hand - a business e-mail address like sales@jasmine_india.com
conveys seriousness of the sender. It suggests, the sender is
not a temporary player - but invested on his/her e-mail address
and more important, left an identity for anyone to check. Anybody
can find out more information about the sender from his web-site
address (e.g. jasmine_india.com).
- E-mails - Once Sent Can Not be Reversed
Read over your e-mail before you send it. Remember,
you can not stop a mail once it is sent. So, check and re-check
before you press the 'Send' button. Use a spell checker wherever
possible.
- 24-hour Cooling Period
Sometimes we get upset by an offending e-mail and
rush to computer for a 'fitting' reply. Often - this hasty action
leads to loss of sale, termination of contract or split in friendship.
Practice the 24-hour rule in such instances.
If you compose an email in anger, wait a predetermined period
of time before sending it. Even if you have a perfectly valid
and legitimate reason to get angry - wait for emotions to cool
down. Remember, the issue will still be there tomorrow. In most
cases, you'll be glad that you waited and toned things down after
gaining sender's perspective or gathering more information.
- No Mass Mailing Please
Do not indulge in mindless mass mailing. It may
seem easy and convenient to send thousands of e-mails in no time.
However, do not get misled by numbers - quality is far more important
here than quantity. Targetted, specific and individually addressed
e-mails carry much more weight than an anonymous mail. If anything,
mass mailing brings your prestige down and gets you black-listed.
- Respond and Follow-Up
You must respond to all e-mails that need to be
answered within 24 or max 48 hours. If requested information can
not be provided within 24 or 48 hours, send an interim response
informing him/her about the delay and how soon you expect to provide
requested information. You should have a follow-up policy that
does not depend solely on e-mails but uses other communication
media like telephone, fax, instant message etc.
Dr. Amit K Chatterjee
