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- 2. Communication is the key to acquiring and retaining clients.
- 3. Subject line • Subject line must summarize the body of the e- mail. • Keep it short. Be specific. • If your email comprises multiple topics, consider breaking it into multiple messages. • If your message requires the recipient's action, say so; preferably with the first word. BUT: At all times try to avoid “URGENT” or “IMPORTANT” types of words in an email or subject line. Only use this if it is a really, really urgent or important message.
- 4. Attachments • Do not send large attachments • Do not send more than 2-3 attachments (unless it’s been specifically requested) • Provide a logical name to the attached file(s)
- 5. Structure & layout i’ve attached my resume i would be grateful if you could read it and get back to me at your earliest convenience. i have all the experience you are looking for – i’ve worked in a customer-facing environment for three years, i am competent with ms office and i enjoy working as part of a team. thanks for your time Dear Sir/Madam, I’ve attached my resume. I would be grateful if you could read it and get back to me at your earliest convenience. I have all the experience you are looking for: • I’ve worked in a customer-facing environment for three years • I am competent with MS office • I enjoy working as part of a team Thanks for your time. Yours faithfully, Joe Bloggs
- 6. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
- 7. Don't shout at people Don't write in CAPITALS or oversized fonts
- 8. No slang Hi D & E, Yep got that thanks. Pete
- 9. Active instead of Passive
- 10. Don't assume the recipient knows/remembers the background “To give you a bit more Softjourn background on some of the areas we discussed during our phone conversation…” For follow up emails: “We look forward to receiving a description of the new functionality that we talked about: ………” • Include the original message you are replying to below (keep the thread) When replying to the email: • Do repeat, in as few words as possible, questions you are answering
- 11. Answer swiftly ... but allow time for a reply Acknowledge ALL emails – “I have received your email, will get back to you as soon as possible.” – “I understand.” or “Thank your for sending this!” Waiting…
- 12. “Friendly reminder” Hello John: I just wanted to double check that you got the document we sent a couple of weeks ago, experience and some ideas of pricing? We had talked about connecting again around this time and talk about a possible proof of concept. Thank you!
- 13. Reply / Reply All Before we hit the send button on an email, we think about: - who needs to “take action” (TO) - versus who needs to just be “kept in the loop” (CC) After all the TO’s and CC’s are assembled correctly in the email, then we do our best keep hitting the “reply all” button so the team stays together throughout the various threads.
- 14. Phrase to avoid: “I’ll try…”
- 15. Phrase to avoid: “it’s not our fault, you didn’t…”
- 16. Example: “it’s not our fault, you didn’t…” Issue: 1. You provide client with a very rough estimate (guestimate) 2. Then you estimate the project, and it appears that initial fee was underestimated 3. You send quote to the client, and receive an email: “This is not what we have agreed for.”
- 17. Emails are not for arguments
- 18. Phrase to avoid: “Don’t you think?” or “Okay?”
- 19. Phrase to avoid: “I don’t have time right now,” or “I’m too busy.” “I’d be happy to discuss this with you after my morning meetings. May I ping you in skype around 1pm?”
- 20. Think about the person reading your note Before hitting Send, slow down to consider: • Did I give all the information needed? • Will the reader understand my message? • Is my point clear? • Are the next steps obvious?
- 21. Anticipate questions Your objective is to make it as easy as possible for the Client to provide you with the answers that you need. Give him/her more information in order to help eliminate so many back and forth emails.
- 22. When making a delivery… What would you say to the client?
- 23. When making a delivery… Tell the client: - what exactly was delivered (detailed description) - what they need to be testing or focusing on, etc.
- 24. When making a delivery… And some part wasn’t 100% tested…
- 25. When client reports a bug… When we let client know that a bug was fixed, we need to explain why the bug occurred, or what we did to fix it etc.
- 26. It’s Wednesday… Let the client know: • Looks like not case that X featuredelivered it can be the all features will be won’t be ready by Friday on Friday… • give a reason
- 27. Issue we see before the deadline/delivery Do NOT tell the client that we will do the delivery tomorrow! Add 2 days buffer to check the issue and analyze why it occurred, it could be complicated and take several days to fix.
- 28. Anticipate questions Put yourself in the Client’s place – What would you think if you heard this? “We are making the next delivery, here it is. We are waiting for your feedback.” OR “The changes you requested are on the test server.”
- 29. Think about the person reading your note “The changes you requested are on the test server.” • Does it give all the information needed? • Will the reader understand the message? • Is it clear? • Are the next steps obvious?
- 30. Anticipate questions “The changes you requested are on the test server.” “Now it Client know exactly here in UA. As soon as we • Will is on our test server what is meant by “our aretest server”? finished testing, we will push it to US staging so that you can look at it. I will let you know as soon as . • do that so you can do your own review.” we Does this mean it is on the internal test server in IF? This tells exactly: • If so, then there is nothing for Client to do • what the status is here, no action for him to take? • that there is no action Client needs to take right now • and it clearly informs what the next step needs to be.
- 31. What Clients have said about working with Softjourn personnel! – Stuff to improve! • “Let me know if I should expect any issues.” • Forewarn about potential issues • “I am not sure what I am going to get in the • When in doubt, it “I am to say: next delivery?” oris okay not sure when the next delivery is going to be?” • “Don’t wait until the last minute to let me “I am not sure right now, let me check knowon that and get back towill be delivered.” that not everything you as soon as possible”
- 32. Working hard or hardly working ?
- 33. Any questions?
Notas del editor
- Reflect the body: It’s called subject line for a reason – to give an indication of the main purpose of the email. Think of the subject line as a very short summary of the email. Reflecting the body is also important to build credibility in your readers’ eyes. Your subject line must match the message. Never open an old e-mail, hit Reply, and send a message that has nothing to do with the previous one. If there are a few things you plan to mention in the email (which are not related to each other), it’s better to send another email
- provide a logical name. Unless it's been specifically requested, refrain from sending a message with more than two attachments. Also, give the attached file(s) a logical name so the recipient knows at a glance the subject and the sender.
- Use proper structure & layout.Get straight to the point – don’t waste time waffling. Split your email into two to four short paragraphs, each one dealing with a single idea. Consider using bullet-points for extra clarity, perhaps if you are:Listing several questions for the recipient to answerSuggesting a number of alternative optionsExplaining the steps that you’ll be carrying outBe careful with formatting.Remember that when you use formatting in your emails, the sender might not be able to view formatting, or might see different fonts than you had intended. When using colors, use a color that is easy to read on the background.
- Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation.This is not only important because improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a bad impression of your company, it is also important for conveying the message properly. E-mails with no full stops or commas are difficult to read and can sometimes even change the meaning of the text. And, if your program has a spell checking option, why not use it?
- Do not write in CAPITALS.IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. This can be highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail. Therefore, try not to send any email text in capitals.
- No slang. It’s not appropriate at formal communication. No “guys”, Yep, see ya etc.“You guys.”Reserve the phrase “you guys” for friendly casual conversations and avoid using it in business. “Referring to a group of people as ‘you guys’ is not only inaccurate if women are present, it is slang and lowers your level of professionalism,” Price explains. With fellow professionals such as your boss, co-workers and clients, substitute “you guys” with terms such as “your organization” or “your team” or simply “you.”
- Use active instead of passive.Try to use the active voice of a verb wherever possible. For instance, 'We will process your order today', sounds better than 'Your order will be processed today'. The first sounds more personal, whereas the latter, especially when used frequently, sounds unnecessarily formal.
- Include enough contextual information at the beginning of the e-mail for the recipient to know what the matter is about.When replying to an e-mail, use the reply option on the sidebar in your mail. This will keep the message in the "thread", and make it easier for the recipient to follow
- Answer swiftly.Try to reply within 24 hours, less if possible. In fact, get in the habit of replying immediately -- it is the polite thing to do, and the recipient will appreciate a prompt reply. If the email is complicated, just send an email back saying that you have received it and that you will get back to them. This will put the customer's mind at rest and usually customers will then be very patient!
- Allow time for a replyE-mail messages are not usually required to be answered immediately, though it is good practice if you do. Before sending a reminder, allow some time for a response, some times even a few days. Not everyone is online 24 hours a day.
- When emailing external parties, it is a good idea to CC the other colleagues within your organization that may have an interest in the email. It can save timeGives the email more credibility if you have CC'd others in your organizationColleagues may correct your mistakesIn addition, I often see people replying only to the sender of the email, ignoring the fact that there were other persons included in the original email. Obviously the original sender intended to keep everyone in the loop, so it would be polite to CC everyone included on the original communication. The converse is true also - don't cc people unnecessarilyNothing is more frustrating that getting only some of the emails on a discussion because not everyone is remembering to hit “reply all” in the thread. Equally frustrating is not knowing whether you are supposed to respond or just observe because the sender cut-n-paste everyone in the “TO” line and you’re trying to figure out which tasks are yours. So the next time you hit “reply”, ask yourself if you should be hitting “reply all”. And the next time you start an email thread, ask yourself who is a TO and who is a CC and who does not belong yet.
- Phrase 2: “I’ll Try”This phrase is laden with doubt. It gives the impression that you’ve already concluded that you will not be able to help them. Instead, consider using I will. If you aren’t positive that you can deliver on the promise, explain what you’ll do to achieve the goal. Then provide a few paths you will take as an alternative approach, if necessary.
- Personally I have seen many situations where an error or mistake occurred at the fault of the client. In one particular instance a client did not send their completed order for a project. The order that they requested was completed, but unbeknownst to us, they wanted another order that they forgot to send. This error resulted in a late delivery for the “forgotten order”. It’s important to be professional and address any errors with a problem-solving attitude.Regardless of who is to blame, you should never point fingers. Take responsibility for the situation and move onIf the same error occurs repeatedly, maybe you need to delve deeper and work on preventing the problem, rather than fixing it. Ask yourself, “Why is this mistake being made?”
- Emails are not for argumentsNever argue in email. Walk down the hall or get on the phone. I’ve learned this myself the hard way, thinking my brilliant use of the English language could somehow make a point better than I could with old-fashioned talk. It never does. Email almost never wins a point or stops an argument. It almost always makes things worse, not better.
- “Don’t you think?” or “Okay?” These phrases are commonly known as hedging—seeking validation through the use of overly cautious or non-committal words, she says. “If you truly are seeking approval or looking for validation, these phrases may well apply. However, if your goal is to communicate a confident commanding message and persuade people to see it your way, instead of hedging make your statement or recommendation with certainty.”Imagine an investment banker saying, “This is a good way to invest your money, don’t you think? I’ll proceed, if that’s okay with you.” Instead, you’d probably want to hear something like: “This strategy is a wise investment that provides long-term benefits. With your approval, I’ll wire the money by 5pm today.”
- “I don’t have time for this right now,” or “I’m too busy.”“Even if these statements are true, no one wants to feel less important than something or someone else,” Price says. To foster positive relations and convey empathy, say instead: I’d be happy to discuss this with you after my morning meetings. May I stop by your office around 1pm?”
- Before hitting Send, slow down to consider
- Before hitting Send, slow down to consider
- Let the client know if some feature or some part was not 100% tested, or if you were not satisfied yet with all of the testing that was done to date. In that way they won’t be surprised if something does not quite work right. We must explain the customer what was fixedWhen we let client know about fixed bug, we need to explain why the bug occurred, or what we did to fix it etc.When application release date is comingSend check list for the client about required steps from his side. i.e. create Google Analitycs account, create email account for feedback, create other accounts for other servicesPostponed deliveries or releasesIf issue occurred just before the release and we are sending notification to the client, that we haven't made release. Do NOT tell them that we will do it tomorrow, tell them that we need 1-2 days more to figure out what the issue is and fix it property. Make 2 day buffer to figure out what the issue is and why it occurred, it could be complicated and take several days to fix.
- Postponed deliveries or releasesIf issue occurred just before the release and we are sending notification to the client, that we haven't made release. Do NOT tell them that we will do it tomorrow, tell them that we need 1-2 days more to figure out what the issue is and fix it property. Make 2 day buffer to figure out what the issue is and why it occurred, it could be complicated and take several days to fix.
- That way if Friday comes and it is not ready they won’t be surprised, and even better, if it is done they will be even more happy!
- Postponed deliveries or releasesIf issue occurred just before the release and we are sending notification to the client, that we haven't made release. Do NOT tell them that we will do it tomorrow, tell them that we need 1-2 days more to figure out what the issue is and fix it property. Make 2 day buffer to figure out what the issue is and why it occurred, it could be complicated and take several days to fix.
- Before hitting Send, slow down to consider
- Before hitting Send, slow down to consider
- When you hear “I was hardly working on the project” what comes to your mind?