I was looking at emails the other day and noticed that there were some coming in that looked more like a text than an email.
You know the kind…the ones that have emoji’s instead of words or abbreviations instead of writing out the word.
This is fine when you are texting your friend but when you are sending an email to another businessperson, take the time to spell it out.
It doesn’t take that much more time to write “Thank You” instead of “TU” (Yes, I did see this in an email recently).
It shows you care about the business you are conducting when you are taking the extra time to ensure you are being professional in your correspondence.
Think of it this way…if you were going to be in person with the person you are contacting and you want them to take you seriously, you aren’t going to go in your ripped jeans and stained T shirt, you are going to dress business casual or very professional.
Let’s put this to email…when I get an email from someone that took the time to look me up on LinkedIn, read my profile so they know what I do and a little more about me, checked out my website, etc. and then reached out to me with their request I am going to respond and want to get to know them better.
When I get a random message that is in abbreviations, slang and emoji’s and asks me if I want support for something I don’t even do for a living I am not going to be responding to that.
Taking the extra time to learn what you can about the person you are contacting and then reaching out in a professional manner is the best way to get long term business, referral relationships, and even friendships with the person you are contacting.
If you don’t have the time to write a well thought out email you really shouldn’t be reaching out at all.
Professionalism should be in play whether you are in person or online. That is what makes you stand out from the crowd and what will help you build the relationships you need in order to grow your business to the next level.