Yes, you can make money by integrating business email etiquette skills into your day to day business communications!
I am specifically targeting those of you who are unaware that business email requires skill acquisition. That there is information to embrace and habits you need to hone when it comes to your daily business communications. Those of you new to the workforce, applying for jobs or planning a start-up. Your Business E-mail Etiquette skills can make you money!
Your Business E-mail Reflects on You
From what I see every day there are still a healthy portion of business onliners who do not realize the importance of the issues we discuss here. That fact puzzles me because it really takes no more effort or time to integrate business email best practices.
If you think about it business is all about competition, right? Now that email has become a business staple — your email is then naturally a competitive tool. One that when used properly can and will give you a competitive edge over others who are anemic in these areas. (Or make the mistake of disregarding the importance of communicating with email properly.)
Pros Communicate Like Pros
By communicating as an educated professional who is tech savvy enough to understand the power and proper use of the tools available to them, this increases your chance to gain more customers. Including solidify partnerships, growing networks, creating new opportunities, making new contacts — making $$$!
Communicate like a grade schooler, do not include basic simple non time consuming courtesies in your business emails and you are viewed as unpolished. What if your perceived competitors out perform you? Yes, perceived.
Perception Really is the Only Reality
Your email gives those that may not know you very well a window into what it will be like to do business with you. Potential partners or customers who may be considering if they do business with you over someone else will use your emails as a guide. Will your communications add clarity and efficiency to the relationship? Or will they cause more work and confusion? Do you know your stuff? Or are you just winging it?
Remember, people do business with people they like and trust. They prefer to do business with people that in some way make their life easier and that they know are reliable, knowledgeable and professional. To think you need not integrate the basics of proper email habits into your business strategy is risky at best.
Learning is Fun!
So why would anyone be so resistant to learning and applying the skills necessary to thrive online? I’m not sure. I think learning is fun! Every time I learn something new it makes my life easier and my business more productive.
Here are a few are questions I’m asking myself after reviewing my inbox today. Just. Today.
- Is it because we are too busy thinking of ourselves that we forget to integrate a simple greeting and cordial closing?
- Are we too preoccupied with our end game that we don’t take the time to reread our email to make sure the tone and formality is appropriate?
- Do we think we are so smart that it isn’t necessary to check for grammar and spelling errors before clicking send?
- Is our time more important than those we are contacting by not reading provided resources or websites? Do we then expect our potential new business partner to reiterate what we don’t want to review?
- Is it that we are so narcissistic that we just want to do what we want to do because that is convenient for us — and we won’t be told otherwise?
Would you do business with those you think or behave as above? Yes, you can run your business or career on your own “terms”. But success comes from knowing when to make the appropriate efforts, implement skills and project professionalism.
Regardless of your reasons for ignoring, minimizing or trivializing all the things I talk about, when it comes to Business E-mail Etiquette, if you take away anything from this post, know your competitors thank you for your lack of attention to these details. Your lack of Business E-mail Etiquette will make them money!