Good Email Bad Email

Email messages account for approximately 90% of business communication; much more than telephone or face to face. Unfortunately, everyday people unintentionally destroy their reputation – and all they need to do is to follow a few proven email etiquette techniques.

What makes an email bad? Two common types are:

• Long, grueling, inaccurate writing
• Hostile or angry email (whether the writer meant it or not)

Bad Email Impacts Four Key Audiences

Nobody likes to work with someone who creates long, grueling or hostile email. The following is a list of the audiences impacted by bad email etiquette. I’ve also included brief descriptions of likely implications:

1. Customers / Clients (they quickly repay poor communication with decreased purchases and decreased loyalty)
2. Suppliers (repay poor communication with longer response times and perhaps higher prices or penalties)
3. Other Staff / Co-workers (repay poor communication with slower response times and often unintentionally providing only partial responses)
4. The Organization (poor communication impacts corporate brand and revenue in both lost sales and time wasted on tasks like following-up)

But it doesn’t have to be this way. There is a competitive advantage of smart, strategic, short, well written email for both the individual and the organization.

Whether writing to one person or marketing to thousands, clear, to-the-point email can be written with confidence and speed – and you don’t have to be a copywriter. One of my favourite email writing tips I share is this:

“Before you start your email, write down at the top of the page one benefit the reader will experience from the information you are about to share.  Then, use this benefit as the focus of your email.”

Most tips you learn in an Effective Business Email Writing Workshop will also help you to:

• Write more impactful business letters
• Improve project management
• Prepare for important phone calls

Are you ready to make effective business email writing a part of your success?

Other Interesting BMC Articles: Effective Business Email Writing and Sales Vs. Marketing

Give us a call (or email), we’ll listen.

Bruce Mayhew Consulting delivers business writing, email writing and email etiquette courses.

We are… Strategic   Branded   Relevant

www.brucemayhewconsulting.com

bruce@brucemayhewconsulting.com