Creating customer-friendly e-mail

As a friend of mine once said,

"E-mail is like Dynamite, In small well placed bursts it can be very powerful and helpful, but used the wrong way it can do irreparable damage" - Michael J. Hughes, Personal Management Skills Coach

I completely agree...

Only you can decide if you will be a friend or foe to E-mail recipients. Whatever action you take, you will have to live with the results. I recommend that each individual decide what their own personal code of ethics will be, before you begin using an E-mail system.

My personal rules of the road when I am driving are that my actions should not affect those around me. If I chose to drive faster than someone ahead of me, I should be patient and wait for a place to pass rather than tailgating, or worse, risking both our lives in a frantic attempt to get by. If I drive slower than those behind me I should move over to let them by, or if I pull out in ahead of someone I should accelerate quickly so that they do not have to slow down to avoid me. Any move I make can be quickly evaluated against one simple criteria; "did I affect anyone else". Not everyone has the same code of ethics when driving. Some will evaluate their behavior by asking, "have I run anyone off the road today? Others will take pride in how many people they kept from speeding by driving slowly in the left lane.

With E-mail you need to establish a criteria or code of ethics that you are comfortable with. The main message that any of your correspondence should carry is the message that you are a quality person, worth doing business with. E-mail is but one more way of communicating your values and integrity.

Before you send that next message, ask yourself if you are adding value by sending someone information…or are you increasing their overload unnecessarily. The more you know about the recipient, the more accurate my decision will be. For instance, if I know that you are going through a stressful period while you try to finish a project, I may decide not to send information that may distract you. On the other hand, if you have just asked me for a solution to a business problem and I have a product or information that I think will help you, I would not hesitate to share this information with you.

USE E-MAIL TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIP-BASED MARKETING

I am an active motor sports fan and participant. Whether it is a conscious decision or not, I have noticed that I tend to be very loyal to companies who support my sport, and show my loyalty by purchasing their products.

Last summer I was at a store looking for a case of motor oil and I found myself stopping to read the label of a brand I had not even considered buying for the past 15 years. But there I was making the decision to buy this product. The only logical explanation I have is that that while attending a local motorsports event that year, I was attracted to a motorcycle on display that was sponsored by this company. That was the beginning of the relationship the company has since established with me. They have continued by providing me with timely information on how their teams are doing in competition, when the local events are scheduled in my area, and providing a hospitality area at various events. My loyalty has grown far beyond any loyalty I ever had to their competitors who I know relatively little about.

Many organizations build strong relationships using regular newsletters. If these truly provide something of value, then why not cut the cost of distribution and use E-mail? If a formal newsletter is not your thing, then perhaps you can forward information that you know the recipient is looking for on a timely basis.

The key is to ensure that the recipient finds your information valuable and wants to receive it. Ideally, you should wait for them to ask for it, or at least ask them if they want to continue receiving it. In either case, always give them a way out and provide this information in the message.

If you find the task of keeping track off all of your clients a daunting one, pick your best customers and service them well. Your best customers may be the ones who buy the most products, or perhaps will pay a premium for your product since they buy in smaller quantities. Maybe your best customer is the one that is prestigious and will help you attract new customers.

PROVIDE SOMETHING OF VALUE IN YOUR MESSAGE

One of the best ways to generate business is to become known as an expert, the one to call when someone needs a product you supply. One of the best ways to become known as an expert is to share your knowledge. ANYONE can benefit from taking this approach even if you work for part of a large organization and you don't think you have a product to sell, because you are the product your manger hired and the people you work with rely on for your skills. The more people that are aware of your skills, the more valuable you become.

Identify yourself as the keeper of data that you specialize in. Advertise yourself as the magnet for the data that overflows their in-basket. If your "customers" can remove themselves from the stream of information that overwhelms them, they will be more relaxed and more effective. Most people tend to collect far too much information for fear of not having enough when they need it. Your customers can feel relaxed knowing that they have you as a resource when needed.

KEEP INFORMATION ITEMS SHORT AND TO THE POINT

It is far better to have someone call you looking for your service than for you to hound him or her with something they don't want. If you keep it short, they will come to you if they want more. For more information check out my monthly tip sheet at http://www.WayneMckinnon.com

Did I mention to keep it short?

Hope this helps,

Wayne

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Wayne McKinnon

-Keynotes Tel (613)762-4608

-Briefs Fax (613)825-4895

-2nd Opinion Info@ITcoach.com

Visit http://www.WayneMcKinnon.com for tips and news

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Wayne McKinnon. 900 Greenbank Road Suite 531, Nepean Ontario Canada K2J 4P6 phone: (613) 860-1384 Fax: (613) 825-4895

Reprints of this article are allowed providing that: 1) Wayne McKinnon retains full copyrights. 2) The byline and phone number or e-mail address is included as written here. 3) Wayne McKinnon is contacted and sent a copy of the publication in which the article appears

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