Email: Do It Right!
by Bob McElwain

Judging from what I receive, lots of people have not thought
much about email. Yet dealing with it effectively is vitally
important to the success of your business. This may be the most
overlooked and under-valued aspect of doing business on the Web.
Here is what is needed.

> Answer it!
> Answer it promptly!
> Answer it completely!
> Answer it with grace and style!

These all seem obvious, I'm sure. They reflect plain good
old common sense. Yet I find one or more of them ignored in
much of the email I receive.

Answer It!

Apparently many are selective as to what they will reply to.
Big mistake. If I visit your site, ask a question and do not
receive a reply, I promise you won't hear from me again.

You say you're just too busy to deal with dumb fool questions
or stuff of no interest to you? If that is really true, then you
can afford to hire someone to do it for you. If a person felt it
was worth the time and trouble to write to you, they deserve a
reply.

Not so? Try this. Pick three sites you feel are successful
and ask them a question. Let it be something way off the mark.
Maybe: I was given this URL as a source of information about
Dobermans, but the address must be wrong. Do you by chance know
of such a source? You will get a reply. Brief, most likely, but
courteous.

Spam is probably part of the problem. Much too much of what
I receive is pure junk. Even so, I take the trouble to read at
least the first line or two before hitting the delete key, for
serious email does occasionally come in looking like junk.

A Tale: A newsletter I follow asked for articles in a way
that sounded as if material was needed. So I wrote what I
thought was a neat piece, and worked it over carefully. I put
about four hours into it, then submitted it. No reply. Well, things get lost, so I resubmitted. No reply. Out of curiosity,
I sent a brief positive comment about the newsletter, and asked
a question easy to answer. No reply. Rejection slips? I deal
with them. No reply? Nuts.

Think about what a person risks in asking a question.
Ridicule, rejection, and such, and the possible misuse of the
email address that brings more spam. A reply is mandatory.
Besides, it's good business.

Answer Your Email Promptly!

This can be difficult if you are working a full time job.
Still, it must be done. I often get replies so late, I've
forgotten why I sent the message! If mail is answered every
evening, in most cases you provide a same-day response, which is
sufficient. You might also consider a morning session before
going to work. Since not many messages come in during the night,
a short session may work well. You can leave a tough question or
issue until evening.

I personally check my email four to six times each work day.
It really pays off. I see it in a reply that begins with: Wow,
that was quick! I see it even more clearly when a sale comes
through an hour later.

Again judging from my email, some apparently wait until the
weekend to answer. This may mark you as a part-timer in your Web
business, a negative to be avoided if possible. For the same
reason, I do not reply to business email on Sundays or holidays.

Answer Your Email Completely!

Next to waiting too long for a reply, my pet peeve is a reply
that fails to answer the question I asked, or an important part
of it. Often this is just carelessness, but consider what it
does to a company image. Do you want to deal with careless
people?

One of the problems with email is the lack of eye contact and
body language available in face-to-face conversation. Even the
phone gives something of this, as in a hesitant response, the
opportunity to quickly repeat something that may have been
misunderstood, correct a blunder, etc.

This slack is just not available in email. All you have are
the words in front of you. To complicate matters, not everyone
is a good writer. This sets things up so that it is easy to
overlook the real question buried in the one apparently asked.
If I have the slightest doubt about what the question means, I
say so. Maybe: I'm not sure I understand the question. If you meant ... blah, then ... blah. Then I wrap with: If that is not\
what you were looking for or I missed something, please get right
back to me.

Not stated, but implied in the above, is the need to be
correct. Never try to fake it; people will quickly peg you as a
phoney, con artist, or worse. Sometimes the best answer is:
Sorry, I don't know. Maybe continue with: It seems to me ...
Also provide a source if possible. Worst case, suggest a search
engine. But in whatever you say, be correct.

Complete does not mean it is necessary to write a manual. In
fact brevity is king in all business correspondence. If the
question is too broad, the best choice is to try a one sentence
reply that offers something of the answer, followed by a
reference as suggested above. A few do try to take advantage,
and in such cases, this is the only reasonable approach.

Answer Your Email With Grace And Style!

Few webmasters are professional writers, so how is the above
possible? Substitute courteous for grace, and the first part may
make more sense. The idea is to treat the writer as you would a
valued client or customer.

Your first contact with a future prospect is quite likely to
be email. Since you are not meeting face to face, you can not
offer a hearty handshake, a warm smile of welcome, or show your
intense interest with your eyes or posture. While it is not
easy, I try very hard to get something of this in every message
I send, particularly to someone new to me.

Style is not as tough as it sounds, for we all have one,
whether or not we recognize it. I tend to be informal. Some
tend to be formal. Most are somewhere in between. What your
style is matters little. The important thing is to be true to
whatever it is. To do otherwise quickly destroys credibility.
That is, cute and clever doesn't make it, unless you truly are.
And grand formality doesn't fly unless it is who you are. Write
as you would speak to a visitor to your office or shop.

All of the above has to do with trust. Any relationship
between yourself and a client or customer begins with trust. A
question gives you the opportunity to build on the trust inherent
in the act of sending the message. Do otherwise, and you will
blow it.

The structure of your web site, search engine position, and
so forth are essential elements to the success of your online
business. But of all vital elements, email seems to be the one
most often overlooked. This seems odd, for it is the easiest
part to get right.
________________________________________________________

Bob McElwain
Web marketing and consulting since 1993
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