You make a new contact and start sending arbitrary email attachments. You mean well — you want them to have all your information. However, in a business environment to do this without notice could be viewed as inconsiderate. Why you ask?
To start attaching any file or collection of files to an email and clicking Send is not a big deal. Yes, you can physically attach any files you want to but that doesn’t mean you should. You could reformat your hard drive and erase all your files too, but you don’t do that do you?
What if your contact has their email sent to their cellphone? Would those files eat up their data allowance? What if their inbox has limitations (file or quota) and you cause subsequent emails to bounce. Not a way to make a good impression.
Budding New Partnerships
When nurturing new business partnerships we want to show the epitome of business courtesy. In the beginning, each side is feeling out the other to determine if this is the person/company they want to do business with. To begin flooding new contacts with multi-format or multiple large file size attachments, can be a negative signal that you are not tech savvy. Especially to those who’ve not specifically asked for your files.
Not all files are meant to go through the email pipeline. High resolution photos, PowerPoint and Excel files come to mind. Or even a multitude of files sent at once can add up fast. And what if the other side doesn’t have PowerPoint or is on a Mac?
You would know this if you asked first. Remember this — building business relationships is about courtesy and respecting others time.
It is not uncommon for me to receive highly formatted files, Power Point presentations, Excel spreadsheets and RFQs that I didn’t ask for. I even receive resumes — no where on any of my sites do I even hint that I’m hiring. I’m not — I’m a one woman show!
Think Before Attaching
Power Point presentations and requests for me to quote projects (that I can tell are being forwarded to numerous parties without respect for anyone’s time) certainly do not lend to me viewing these folks as those I will be able to work with efficiently (or want to).
I am clear about my processes on my site that was either not read or just ignored. Blindly sending these type of attachments — without any personal comments directed specifically to me or my services, does not encourage me to consider these projects. Actually it is a big fat red flag. Delete!
By the way, there really is no cold-calling online. If you do, it is a very delicate process to stand above the other spammers.
Then there are the new contacts who are enthusiastic about getting their information to me. I understand that but many times the collateral sent does not apply to me, what we would partner about or what I need or I do. Time just wasted. This is where you really want to be judicious about what attachments you send and to who.
Sending After Hours
Another bad habit of those working evenings or on weekends, is that they think they can send unasked for attachments outside of business hours. Refrain from sending files of any kind, especially the ones megs in size, outside of business hours when the other side is most likely not there to receive your files. The exception would be if you had a previous discussion with the recipient and let them know you would be sending the attachment outside of business hours and they were okay with that.
Ask First
Before you send any large or software specific attachments, always ask who you are sending to what format works for them. Also inquire when would be the best time to do so to ensure they are there to download at their convenience.
While some may think they can send attachments when it is convenient to them alone, that really isn’t the best professional approach. Inquiring first reflects proper technology use with a dash of courtesy.
Ask first! That’s all you have to do to be viewed as a business onliner who gets it and thinks of others besides themselves. That’s called a tech savvy professional!