aaarrghh! I can’t believe how many emails I get these days where people do not sign off, or include contact details. What is wrong with people these days? Is email no longer considered a professional way of contacting others?
What am I talking about? Signature blocks. I receive emails from Virtual Assistants, from service and product providers, from other organisations where people just sign off with their firstname and nothing else. No surname, no business name, no website address, no phone number, nothing.
Like yes I have everyone’s details at my fingertips and why shouldn’t I waste my time trying to look up that information if I want to visit their website or give them a ring on the phone? The amount of time I’ve wasted going through older emails to get someone’s details if I don’t have them on my database, or having to google to find them. It’s extremely annoying.
I was purchasing wooden photo frames recently for an exhibition I have coming up – the provider just signs off with her first name and nothing else. I already had to email her and ask for her address. And then she wondered why I didn’t know what hours her shop was open after I complained I’d gone down there for a pick up only to find the shop was closed. How was I to know she’s not open on Mondays?
An NFP organisation that was fixing a problem on their website for me – not giving the web link after letting me know things have been sorted. I don’t remember everyone’s web addresses off by heart.
Many VAs do it too. Give your readers and potential audience/clients the chance to know how to find you online and by phone by always making it available to them through your signature block. It’s your online business card!
Ok, vent over, but hopefully you get the point. Make sure that you have more than just your name at the end of your emails – you stand to lose potential business otherwise.
Uma Mahi says
Good one Kathie. Thanks.
Tracy Ingram says
I’m having trouble right now with some of the lack of professionalism in most work places. Worked in corporate America for over 20 years and the younger generation has no clue maybe it was just a thing of the 90’s. They just don’t pay attention now.