Remember the days of the formal business letter that had to be typed ever so perfectly? Or the sales calls that always began with a friendly chat before getting down to business?

There's no question e-mail has dramatically changed the way we communicate — and from a business standpoint, not always for the better.

	TIP: Some features in Outlook — such as the one that lets you automatically reply to e-mail messages received when you're away from the office — require you to use a Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 e-mail account. Exchange Server is part of Windows Small Business Server 2003. You can check the E-mail Accounts dialog box under Tools in Outlook to discover which types of e-mail accounts you have in your Outlook profile.

Certainly e-mail offers speed that no other form of written communication can match. And it's an extremely inexpensive way to stay in touch with customers and colleagues anywhere in the world. Yet because it is fast and cheap, e-mail may not garner the respect it should. And that could lead to lost sales, angry customers ... or worse.

It's Not Always What You Say
Consider a couple of common e-mail scenarios that take place every day in businesses like yours:

1. A potential customer sees something of interest on your website and sends an e-mail seeking more information. Wanting to be responsive, you dash off a quick reply and hit the "send" button. Could you have taken a little more time and made a better impression? For instance:
   • Did you address the customer by name and use a proper greeting?
   • Did you read through your e-mail for errors before you sent it?
   • Did you run a spell-check?
   • Was the tone of your e-mail friendly and helpful?
   • Did you encourage further contact?
     
     
2. You are sending your sales contacts an updated price list. It's something you're sure they will all want to see, so you create one big mass mailing to save yourself time and effort. But did you consider whether a more personal approach might bring better results? Also:
   • Did you mention that you will follow up with a phone call in case they have questions — giving yourself an opportunity to connect on a personal level?
   • Did you send the price list as an attachment or within the body of your e-mail?
   • Did you send it in plain text, rather than html?
   • Did you use a subject line that was clear and to the point?
   • Did you run a spell-check before you hit the "send" button?

Unfortunately, with e-mail communication it is often the style, not the substance, that is lacking. The message you are sending may be valuable to the recipient, but that may not be apparent if it is full of problems. For instance, a survey of European office workers revealed negative feelings about people who send e-mail that contains bad spelling.

E-mail Mistakes to Avoid
Using good manners are just as important when sending e-mail as they are when you are on the phone with a customer or conducting a sales call in person. E-mail may not require the same manners, but the objective doesn't change.

The difference with e-mail is that you are not there when the recipient reads your message so you cannot gauge a reaction like you can on the phone or in person. Once you've hit the "send" button, you can't adjust your comments. So you need to get it right the first time — or you could alienate customers and lose business. Here are a few basic e-mail do's and don'ts:

• When communicating with someone you don't know or don't know well, use a somewhat formal tone, including an appropriate salutation and their name whenever possible. Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 with Business Contact Manager helps organise contact names and related information by consolidating all of your customer account information in a central location that is just one click away
• Use a straightforward subject line that accurately conveys the point of your e-mail
• Say what you need to say, but aim for brevity
• Use an easy-to-read font and point size (some studies indicate Verdana or Arial in 10 point are among the easiest for people to read online). Avoid elaborate decorative touches in business communications
• To reduce the risk of spreading a virus, send plain text e-mail messages and never send e-mail attachments without seeking permission to do so in advance. Also keep your antivirus software up-to-date. Microsoft Office and Outlook 2003 have several features that help reduce the risk of viruses and junk e-mail that may contain viruses
• Use an e-mail signature or v-card that gives full contact information, including a phone number and your company name
• Always use spell-check and read through your message for grammatical errors or other problems before you send it
• Avoid humour, casual comments or slang that might be misconstrued
• When you receive an e-mail from a legitimate sender (versus a spammer), always acknowledge receipt within 24 hours, even if you can't provide a full answer immediately. In Microsoft Outlook 2003, you can use the Quick Flags feature to flag messages by priority or time sensitivity
• If you are going to be away from e-mail for more than 24 hours, use an "out of office" auto-response

For the most part, good e-mail manners are basic common sense. You know how you would deal with a customer in a face-to-face meeting or over the phone. With a little effort and helpful e-mail tools like those in Outlook 2003, you can craft e-mail messages that convey the same courtesy and respect - and by doing so you'll win the same for your business.