USING EMAIL TO YOUR ADVANTAGE
Email today is definitely one of the most popular message
mediums of choice, so it therefore pays to understand how
to effectively use it. Here a few efficient tips to follow
when using email.
Create a user-friendly email address, by this I mean having
an email address that is easy to remember and clearly identifies
as to who the sender is. Having an email such as ktsl@extra.co.nz
is not recommended, even though YOU know it stands for the
first letter of each family member’s name, your customers
don’t know this and won’t care. By having a complex
email address makes it harder for your customers to remember
your email address and it doesn’t allow for easy identification
of the sender. Due to the high volume of junk mail people
receive an address that isn’t instantly recognisable
often results in your important email being placed in the
deleted bin without being opened first.
Have your own domain name. Companies who use xtra or clear
or ihug as their domain name will create the impression that
the company is small and low tech. Setting up your own domain
name is relatively easy and inexpensive and will create the
right impact on your customers. If possible use your trading
name as the domain name.
When writing an email use short but descriptive subject headings.
This allows customers to immediately see if the email is relevant
to them and therefore will be read NOT deleted.
Create a signature and use it on all emails. Your signature
should include your name, phone number, fax, cell phone number,
email address, your website URL and if needed the location
or postal address of your business. Using a signature enables
the receiver, of the email, to have all the detail on how
to contact you, if they need to, other than just being able
to reply to your email.
Use an auto response email if you will be out of the office
for some time. Customers often expect an immediate response
to their emails, and by using an auto response enables you
to let them know that you are not just ignoring their email.
Use folders to create an uncluttered mail box. File old
email in appropriate locations so they can be easily located
if needed.
So in summary email can make our lives easier, if it is used
correctly and to its full advantage. Spending time learning
how to set up your particular mailbox, to create auto responses,
folders and signatures, will save you the time now and the
effort later on.
Adapted from the article “Email me, my address is ktjsr@xtra.co.nz”
by Paul Watkins |
