Posts Tagged ‘ning’
It’s still surprising to find people who don’t know how to send emails. Once you could rely on at least two people you knew who would hit the ‘Forward ‘button blithely on inane jokes, offensive jokes, or no jokes at all. They sent dubious ecards and greetings and forwards of forwards of forwards.
By now, the number of people who still compulsively hit that Forward button has dwindled to perhaps one person who has never learned how to send email correctly or who wilfully refuses to give up their dangerous habit.
As for you, make sure you aren’t in the category of offensive emailers, take note of these points, summarised here, from Seth Godin.
Before you hit send on that next email, perhaps you should run down this list, just to be sure:
- Is it going to just one person? If it’s going to a group, have I thought about who is on my list?
- Are they blind copied?
- Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it?
- Is the email from a real person? If it is, will hitting reply get a note back to that person? (if not, change it please).
- If it is a cold-call email, and I’m sure it’s welcome, and I’m sure it’s not spam, then don’t apologize. If I need to apologize, then yes, it’s spam, and I’ll get the brand-hurt I deserve.
- Am I angry? (If so, save as draft and come back to the note in one hour).
- Is there anything in this email I don’t want the attorney general, the media or my boss seeing? (If so, hit delete).
- Is any portion of the email in all caps? (If so, consider changing it.)
- Is it in black type at a normal size?
- Do I have my contact info at the bottom? (If not, consider adding it).
- Am I forwarding someone else’s mail? (If so, will they be happy when they find out?)
- Are there any little animated creatures in the footer of this email? Adorable kittens? (If so consider deleting it)
- Bonus: Is there a long legal disclaimer at the bottom of my email? Why?
- Bonus: Does the subject line make it easy to understand what’s to come and likely it will get filed properly?
- If I had to pay 50 cents to send this email, would I?