Sales Strategy

Reinforce Your Sales Skills With An Email Etiquette Spot CheckBy Caroline Stanley |  September 02, 2015 (1 comment)

Merrick, NY—Likely everyone reading this article is well versed in customer service. But even with the most difficult customers keeping you on your toes, it’s always a good idea for an etiquette review: specifically, email etiquette.

An email full of misspelled words and wrong (or no) punctuation reflects badly on the sender, which is not what a salesperson wants to do after working to build the customer’s trust and confidence. But a well-written communication serves to reinforce that confidence and trust.

Sales associates spend more time on email than ever before; it’s quicker and more convenient to dash one off, and may save you from that never-ending game of phone tag. Owners and managers spend time emailing vendors and employees as well as customers. Email is a handy tool but it can be easy to slip into bad habits. Even Miss Manners has weighed in on the proliferation of emails. So, a quick review is in order:

1. Remember that the recipient of the email is a person. It’s easy to lose sight of that when you are typing on a keyboard. If you wouldn’t say it in person—to a person—don’t put it in an email.
2. Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want forwarded, copied or saved. Like a diamond, email also is forever.
3. NO SHOUTING. Writing in all caps is the equivalent of shouting.
4. Remember email is on the record, for you and your company.
5. If you are sending something sensitive, step away from your computer/phone/tablet and let your manager or a colleague read it before sending it. Get a tone check if you’re not sure. Better safe than sorry.
6. Don’t over abbreviate, especially when emailing customers with jewelry information. Even with your more jewelry-sophisticated customers, spell out every k, ct, tw, etc. Don’t make them have to look it up. Keep it clear and specific. This also can help prevent misunderstandings later.
7. Use proper punctuation. Just as you shouldn’t write in all caps, don’t write in all lowercase, either. Remember your elementary school lessons: begin your sentences with a capital letter and end them with the appropriate punctuation.
8. Spell it out. Save the LOL’s and TTYL’s for texting with friends, not communicating with customers.
9. Check your spelling and check it twice. Spell-check programs will find misspelled words but not a word spelled correctly and wrongly used. For example: there, they’re, and their. There’s no substitute for careful proofreading.

These are a few things to keep in mind. Likely there are others, dictated by your company. Not sure? Ask and find out. Know what’s expected from your employer, not just your customers. 

Top image: Nairaland.com