Do you remember when the little ding and the automated voice saying “You’ve got mail!” made you run expectantly to your computer to see who near and dear to you was dropping you a note?
Wow, are those days ever gone! Back in the day, not that long ago, the e-mail was probably from a dear friend that I couldn’t wait to hear from. Today e-mail can be from a whole host of strangers bombarding me with everything from get rich quick schemes to advertising, in other words SPAM.
E-mail today is either a god-send or can be the bane of my existence. Pretty much whichever I consider it to be, it is an undisputedly highly important form of communication in today’s work world. What VA worth their salt could function without it?
Don’t get me wrong I love getting e-mail as it is the most important form of communication in my VA business. I know I could not do the virtual work that I do without it. E-mail keeps me in touch with other members of my team and my clients. If I manage it right, it is a wonderful form of communication that makes my work easier and more efficient.
E-mail etiquette is a pet peeve of mine. Your e-mail is the first impression someone gets about you and your business; in a virtual world maybe the only impression they will get of you. My thoughts are “The better the e-mail is written the better the impression you make.” I believe there is e-mail etiquette to be followed by both the sender and the receiver. It is important to remember your audience when composing your e-mails. I like to keep business e-mails professional but let my personality shine through in notes of a personal nature to friends and family, yes, I have even been known to add a smiley face or two.
I am a bit of a stickler for correct spelling and grammar. Spelling and grammar checks can be done right on your computer, making it very easy to catch most errors. I really appreciate a clearly defined subject line that gives me all of the information that the e-mail will be about, as well as, making it easier to find when I have to refer back to it at a later date. Some other items that I consider when I am writing an e-mail are: I only include one topic per e-mail unless I am going to use bullet points or numbering to set ideas apart for the ease of the reader, I always draw attention to attachments so the reader will not miss them, I like to use simple, direct language and to stay away from jargon or abbreviations that readers may not be familiar with and I proof read the e-mail before I send it (hopefully, catching any errors). These tips make it easier for me to read e-mails when I am on the receiving end so I hope those who receive mine feel the same way.
As a recipient and reader of an e-mail I feel it is important to give the e-mail the attention it deserves, much as I would if the sender were speaking to me personally. After all, the sender thought the information was important enough to take the time to compose it and send it to me. I like to carefully read the e-mail message to get the full meaning and gather all of the information that is delivered in it. I try to respond to all of the points that have been included, if I am asked to respond, in a timely manner. If I have not been asked to respond I still like to send a quick note back to let the sender know that I have received and read their e-mail.
Apart from the mechanics of e-mail writing, I think it is very important to ensure that the message and tone intended for the reader is the message and tone that they receive. It is sometimes very hard to convey the tone you are intending. With careful choice of wording you can set the mood of the message; you would not want to sound like you are being flip about a serious subject, or conversely, that you are angry when you are in fact not. I find re-reading my message will help me to make sure the tone I want to set is the tone that I have achieved. It is so much easier to take a moment when writing the e-mail to set the tone than it is to have to go back and explain myself after it may have been mistakenly misinterpreted.
Well, after sharing all these thoughts with you, happy e-mailing!
Ding! “You’ve got Mail” That’s my cue! I am back to communicating in a virtual world!
