Business E-mail -- First Contact; First Impression

When making first contact with a potential new customer, partner, associate, employer, supplier or vendor, the impression you make may very well determine even if you get a response. Being the majority of us are having to deal with e-mail overload and the increasing dilemma of “not enough time in the day” syndrome, your first contact needs to be dressed to impress!

By making your first contact be one that is clear and concise while making evident that you will not be a time waster, you will be viewed as the consummate professional others choose to do business with. If you are lackadaisical in your communications or are not clear thereby requiring unnecessary back and forths, you indicate that you will require more of what little time some have left in their day to effectively conduct business.

How can a poor first contact be to your detriment? Being a one woman show with my WordPress Consulting business, I can speak from experience that I can tell whether a potential inquirer is one I can confidently take on and provide the necessary time to cater to. If an inquiry comes in that does not include the Basics of Business E-mail Etiquette, I know for a fact that inquirer will consume more of my time, not just in e-mail communications but throughout the course of their project. This can cause my customer service levels to suffer to my established clientele. Do I take that risk? That first contact many times can make me question whether I should. My 16 years of experience in this regard has proven this to be to be something I need to seriously consider.

I hear this same dilemma relayed to me from recruiters, personnel and management staff as well when looking at prospective hires. If employees or candidates cannot send business e-mail communications reflecting they took the necessary time and thought before clicking Send, how can they possibly think to be considered for a position or promotion that will require a level of e-mail communication skills they clearly do not possess or are unwilling to practice?

Simple things like ensuring you are spelling names correctly. That you approach others with a respectful level of formality. That you take the time to type in properly structured complete sentences — including the necessary information and detail the other side needs to promptly respond to your inquiry. And not assuming that all this does not apply to you if on your iPhone.

I’m not exaggerating — I see this in inquiries through my various sites on a daily basis. I hear it from frustrated business owners (and customers alike) that contact me or post comments on my Blogs about why so many seem to not care about communicating in a concise, courteous and professional manner.

Every e-mail you send is a building block for opportunity. The opportunity to impress a potential new customer, partner, employer, associate, supplier or vendor that you should be considered over your perceived competition. Use each and every e-mail you send, even after that first contact, as a tool to encourage and build upon that all so important positive perception.

The bottom line is with that first contact comes that one time shot at a great first impression.