Now there is no law that says you have to follow these rules, but if you are in business on the Web, you should definitely pay attention.
Rule #1 - Turn off your CAPS LOCK - Some people seem to feel that if they write their E-mail in ALL CAPS it will be more effective.Quite the opposite is the case. CAPS should be used only for emphasis. Many people consider the use of ALL CAPS as being the equivalent of shouting and do take offense at it.
Rule #2 - Never send multiple E-mails without using Blind Carbon Copies (BCC). If every E-mail address you sent it to is displayed, you are making the spammers job a lot easier when they harvest addresses. But you have to address it to someone, even if using BCC, so remember, there are a lot of kooks in this world who will persecute anyone they can identify.
When using BCC, never send the note to someone on your mailing list. If you have a second ID use that, or send the note to yourself with copies to everyone on your list. That way, if someone decides to vent it will come back to you and not someone on your list. It also gives you a permanent record of the E-mails you sent to your mailing list. If you dont have a second ID#, you can get one easily at Juno, Hotmail, etc.
Rule #3 - Are you sure your E-mail was actually sent to your mailing list One easy way to be sure it was, is to include your E-mail address in your file of names you send it to. A good method is to include your address at the very end of the list. If you get your copy, you can be sure everyone else did as well.
Rule #4 - Dont Bore Them to Death - Advertising by E-mail is a cheap and effective way to get your message out to people, and most people dont mind getting an E-mail if it is short and to the point, but dont spam and send to people you dont already have a relationship with. Also, dont try to sell them your product or services with your first mailing. Try to pique their curiosity instead and have them either reply to your E-mail or visit your Web Site.
Rule #5 - Honor Removes - if someone asks to be removed from your mailing list, do it immediately and send them a courtesy note advising them it has been done. Keeping people on your mailing list that dont want to receive your information is not only bad form, but can cost you your ISP if a complaint is lodged against you.
And NEVER forge headers so they cant respond to you by E-mail.This is the favorite trick of the scamsters who dont want you to respond to their E-mail, and give you a number to call or a form to fill out instead.
Rule #6 - Be sure that you are not sending the same person multiple E-mails. This is a definite sign of spam and most people will simply delete them.
Rule #7 - I still get E-mails with no text and the message they wish me to read is an attachment to the E-mail. It is immediately deleted as it could very well contain a virus - even from someone you know. Some ISPs have a top limit to the amount of text they will display, and anything larger is automatically converted to an attachment. Many people will not go through this exercise, so you should ensure that your E-mail message can be read by all the people it is sent to, without them having to open an attachment.
Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodbys Free Ezine the Tip of the Day get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site Great Business and Computer Tips Monday. Wednesday. and Friday. Instructions on how to place an ad are in the Newsletter.
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Before the advent of email most of us, other than sending out cards for special occasions, would write very few letters. If we did write a letter, it was carefully prepared, and considerable thought went into it. Today, with computer access available to most people, we have tremendously increased our amount of written communication, and sometimes fall into a trap. There are seven words that will serve as our guide and help us to communicate more effectively.
Perhaps the first word to consider is Brevity - we receive and respond to more mail each day, than we would in a year, before the advent of the Internet. As we became experienced with email, we found certain shortcuts that we would never use in pen and ink communications.
Many people simply copy the entire note to which they are responding, and make their comments. Others might lift a pertinent paragraph and respond. This is acceptable practice. Lets face it - unless you are socializing with a friend, if someone asks a question, they want an answer, and dont really care if you had rain last night. But, you can be too brief in your replies. I get email all the time, and dont have a clue as to what theyre referring to.
Criticism, whether perceived or real is probably next on the list. Some people write with a negative style, and while they are truly not being critical, their wording comes across that way. If you are making a suggestion to someone, or reporting a problem, if you expect positive results, be sure to couch your note in positive terms.
Patience - I had a person write me 4 times in one day about a perceived problem. Now, most of us are not sitting at the computer 24 hours a day just waiting to receive email. A person must be given ample time to respond. This may take a day or so, or even longer. When I didnt immediately respond, the notes got nastier and nastier. If you act this way, you may be simply written off as a crank or a pain in the neck, and never get an answer. Patience pays - and if you do send a reminder, be civil.
Audience - since the web is truly world wide, remember that you may be speaking with a person limited in your primary language.While you dont want to appear condescending, your email should be written in short, concise sentences that are easy to understand. Words that have several meanings such as wound, produce or refuse should be avoided.
Morality is always a big issue. What may be acceptable to one person may not be to another. Never use language that is even border line. Many people think that if someone uses words that are not acceptable in polite society, you might not know how to express yourself any other way, and be considered ignorant.
Never use a double entendre. We had a police chief of a neighboring town use the term guido in an internal memo to his staff. To many, the term bennie or guido simply means a summer resident. But this term was highly offensive to the Italian American community, and he quickly learned to choose his words more carefully.
Sarcasm - this is always a double-edged sword. While something may be said with the best of intentions, another may interpret it the wrong way. Your best bet is to avoid it. While on the subject, the use of humor has to be done very carefully. What may be extremely funny to you, could be extremely offensive to someone else.
Spam - most people get a number of emails every day, and much of it is unsolicited commercial email, which is immediately deleted.Always title your note so it doesnt blend in with all the other junk they receive. The spamsters are becoming more creative in this regard however, so you should probably try to give this a little extra attention.
There are of course many other things, which should be avoided, such as spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and the use of ALL CAPS. Try to couch your communications so you are not guilty of making these basic mistakes. This is especially true if your email is going to multiple people. The anonymity of the web doesnt always allow us the luxury we enjoyed when all we wrote was with pen and ink and knew exactly who would be reading it.
Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodbys Free Ezine the Tip of the Day get a Free Ad for their Business at his Web Site Great Business and Computer Tips Monday. Wednesday. and Friday. Instructions on how to place an ad are in the Newsletter.
Subscribe at: .