E-mail misunderstandings happen all the time! I bet you can think of a handful of times when either you misunderstood someone’s e-mail tone or someone misunderstood yours. E-mail correspondence is a craft and there are many ingredients that make up a recipe for e-mail success.
“The Little Things”
- I talk about “the little things” all the time and it’s no different when you’re e-mailing. Adding in exclamation points or a smiley face to help show emotion is okay. There is obviously a professional and unprofessional way to communicate via e-mail, but little things, such as exclamation points or smiley faces once in a while to convey your emotion, are okay in my book.
Be Upbeat and Positive
- Everyone loves being around someone who is upbeat and positive and it doesn’t have to stop at the face-to-face encounter. Make sure that when you are e-mailing someone that you’re using a positive tone. I had a client tell me that he enjoyed corresponding with me because he could tell that I was upbeat and positive in my responses to him. It really does make a world of difference.
A Well Crafted Signature
- This is something that many people don’t put that much thought into, but it can be an important part of your e-mail strategy. Take my signature, for example:
- My signature shows up on initial e-mails that I send and also in my replies, so that my contact information is always readily available when it’s needed.
- My company logo is a clickable link to our website.
- My headshot helps put a face to a name and when you see a smiling face you tend to be put in a more positive state.
- A carefully considered list of accomplishments and links adds credibility and helpful information but not too much clutter.
- A quote can help portray your values and promote positivity.
Actually Respond To Your E-Mails
- You would think this is a given, right? But there are a lot of people who mismanage their inbox or just feel like they don’t need to respond. When someone doesn’t respond to me, I assume that they just don’t care. There have been so many times where I’ve responded to e-mails or phone calls from a new client and they make the comment, “Wow. You actually answered my e-mail or phone call.” And I always respond, “Well of course I did! Your e-mail (or phone call) is important to us.” It’s crazy that simply responding in a timely manner ends up being such a hard thing for many.
These four small things can make a big difference in the way that people view you through e-mail and can help you avoid miscommunication in the future.