 President's
Corner
With so many note brokers and
investors using email and the
internet in their businesses I’d
like to address email
communication. The advent
of email began an era of
immediate communication. It is
also an era of shortened
attention spans and fierce
competition. While
technology allows you to get
your message through, how can
you be sure it’s receiving any
attention? Here are some
tips:
-
Before writing an email, ask your self, “Why am I writing this?” When you have
the answer, state it clearly and concisely, right at the beginning of your
message. I receive countless emails every month that are mere fragments of what
the sender is trying to get across to me resulting in questions and more emails
going back and forth and wasted time.
-
Use correct grammar and punctuation, and proof read the email message for typos
before you hit “send”. Nothing is as urgent as you think. Sending emails using
“texting” shortcuts and abbreviations is very unprofessional.
-
Edit your message. Make sure you told the reader what they need to know to make
a decision or take action and that you have eliminated any unnecessary
information.
- If
you need to include any supporting information, use easy to see bullet points or
short paragraphs.
-
Write a subject line that tells the reader exactly what the message is about and
allows the reader to file or find the message easily. At the very least put in
one or two words like “quote please”, “info needed” or “quick question”. An
email with “no subject” usually gets deleted.
-
Check the tone. Read over the message to make sure the tone is not likely to be
too abrupt or otherwise offend the reader. A subject line or email text in
CAPITAL letters may be taken as screaming, yelling and offensive. Keep it
amicable and professional, you don’t want to burn any bridges.
-
Use active, clear, concise language. Avoid passive language that can weaken
your message and confuse readers, pompous language that can get in the way of
your message, jargon that readers might not understand and unnecessary words
that clutter up the email.
-
Make sure the subject is appropriate for email. If the content is sensitive or
confidential, use another communication method (phone or in person) rather than
sending an email.
The bottom line is that when you
are communicating in the note
business via email, keep it
professional. Even though
we get to work in out pajamas or
our shorts and t-shirts just
remember that this is a real
business so treat it as such.
Success Demands
Action! Keep on marketing, it’s
going to work! TWITA!
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