Be attractive

As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

Check the presentation quality of your message

And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

• What will t
  Opportunity Idea - Business Planning - Action - Culmination
  At first all new businesses start of as an idea. How do you turn this idea into a profitable opportunity? When the idea grips you so much, that you wake up in the middle of the night and hurriedly scribble down some notes, what do you do next? Some of the best business ideas I have had have come at night but usually they are so bold that most of them end up in the "ideas box".What is the procedure to follow when a revelation
  Among the smaller businesses that I work with, I often come across people who have little idea how to contact their customers by email and some are even aware that they need help to learn the skills properly:
  • I love email - it is quick, low-cost, tangible, asynchronous and generates a record.
  • I also hate email if it is spam, pointless or poorly presented.

  Be legal and delightful

  The law is the first aspect that I impress on my clients:

  • The UK Data Protection Act became law in December 2003.
  • A similar USA anti-spam law became law January 2004.
  • These and other laws aim to stop people from sending out emails that are unwanted, distasteful or dishonest.

  Then I remind my clients that customers who find your messages interesting and delightful will keep asking for more, whereas those that you annoy will close the door on you. If you take an approach that stays legal and delights, you will remain free to remind your customers what benefits you can offer.

  Be transparent

  Besides being a legal requirement, I feel that it is polite and professional to ensure that your emails say:

  • who you are,
  • why you are mailing and
  • which valid email address your customer can contact in order to opt-out of future messages.

  If you make these three aspects of the email easy for people to see, you will actually have fewer opt-outs even if the value of your message is marginal.

  Only contact consenting customers

  Generally you should only send marketing materials to customers who have given their prior consent to receiving your marketing messages. Unsolicited mail is only allowed in three conditions:

  • If you collected your customer’s email address in the course of a sale or in negotiating a sale;
  • If the products and services you promote are similar to those your customer already takes;
  • If your customer gave you their email address even though they had a clear opt out (when it was collected) and if you continue to offer that opt out each time.

  Be attractive

  As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

  Check the presentation quality of your message

  And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

  • What will th
    Legal Students: Network with Law Firms to Locate the Best Internship
    For most law students, networking with law firms is the best way to find a great internship. In large cities and small towns, the legal community is close knit and many times, it is who you know, not what you know. The more people you meet with, the better your chances of building your professional network, and finding a great intern position. Networking is best started with one’s own friends and acquaintances. You can gradually br
    tion Act became law in December 2003.
  • A similar USA anti-spam law became law January 2004.
  • These and other laws aim to stop people from sending out emails that are unwanted, distasteful or dishonest.

  Then I remind my clients that customers who find your messages interesting and delightful will keep asking for more, whereas those that you annoy will close the door on you. If you take an approach that stays legal and delights, you will remain free to remind your customers what benefits you can offer.

  Be transparent

  Besides being a legal requirement, I feel that it is polite and professional to ensure that your emails say:

  • who you are,
  • why you are mailing and
  • which valid email address your customer can contact in order to opt-out of future messages.

  If you make these three aspects of the email easy for people to see, you will actually have fewer opt-outs even if the value of your message is marginal.

  Only contact consenting customers

  Generally you should only send marketing materials to customers who have given their prior consent to receiving your marketing messages. Unsolicited mail is only allowed in three conditions:

  • If you collected your customer’s email address in the course of a sale or in negotiating a sale;
  • If the products and services you promote are similar to those your customer already takes;
  • If your customer gave you their email address even though they had a clear opt out (when it was collected) and if you continue to offer that opt out each time.

  Be attractive

  As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

  Check the presentation quality of your message

  And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

  • What will t
    How to Prepare Yourself for a Job Interview
    In order to land the job you have set your eyes on, interview preparation is one of the most significant tasks to pay attention to in the work world. Whether it is reviewing the type of questions you may randomly encounter or setting out the perfect interview attire in the morning, preparation is key for securing a position at a company or business. In this day and age, even the kind of shoes you wear to an interview can set you ba
    benefits you can offer.

    Be transparent

    Besides being a legal requirement, I feel that it is polite and professional to ensure that your emails say:

    • who you are,
    • why you are mailing and
    • which valid email address your customer can contact in order to opt-out of future messages.

    If you make these three aspects of the email easy for people to see, you will actually have fewer opt-outs even if the value of your message is marginal.

    Only contact consenting customers

    Generally you should only send marketing materials to customers who have given their prior consent to receiving your marketing messages. Unsolicited mail is only allowed in three conditions:

    • If you collected your customer’s email address in the course of a sale or in negotiating a sale;
    • If the products and services you promote are similar to those your customer already takes;
    • If your customer gave you their email address even though they had a clear opt out (when it was collected) and if you continue to offer that opt out each time.

    Be attractive

    As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

    Check the presentation quality of your message

    And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

    • What will t
      Unemployment - Not What You Think
      Most people think they know what it means to be technically unemployed. The reason for the term "technically" is because no matter what one person may think of as far as unemployment, your government may have a totally different idea and definition. Therefore, if you're currently not working and wonder if you are considered unemployed then you might want to read this technical overview of just what it is that makes a person unemp
      b>Only contact consenting customers

      Generally you should only send marketing materials to customers who have given their prior consent to receiving your marketing messages. Unsolicited mail is only allowed in three conditions:

      • If you collected your customer’s email address in the course of a sale or in negotiating a sale;
      • If the products and services you promote are similar to those your customer already takes;
      • If your customer gave you their email address even though they had a clear opt out (when it was collected) and if you continue to offer that opt out each time.

      Be attractive

      As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

      Check the presentation quality of your message

      And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

      • What will t
        Networking is the Key to Star Performance in Everything You Do.
        Many people's idea of networking relates to the 'size of their Christmas Card List, rather than the quality of their relationship with each person on that list. Similarly those people network, but few reap the rewards of zeroing in on their potential.  Here are some ideas to help fill the gap between where you are now and where you can be. 1 Be Generous - Give without expectations and you will be surprised at how it return
        clear opt out (when it was collected) and if you continue to offer that opt out each time.

      Be attractive

      As you design your email message, do use the same guidance that you apply to your business letters: use plain English, state what you offer, say what benefits are available and suggest how you want your customer to respond.

      Check the presentation quality of your message

      And before pressing the Send button, ask yourself

      • What will the recipient see when they read this?
      • How does this build my business reputation?
      • How will this delight my customer?

      For major email campaigns, I like to email a sample message to myself, print it off and read it the following day. That way I read the email with fresh eyes so I can spot items that are ambiguous, mistaken or poorly presented.

      Keep track of your messages

      Finally I encourage my clients to integrate their emails into their Customer Relationship Management system. When you review your customer's record, you want to see at a glance the sequence of emails, presentations, sales calls and closed sales for that customer.

      This shows the value of a good email - it is one of several means of building and maintaining a profitable relationship with your prospects and customers.