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Common Mistakes In E-Mail

t one time or the other we have all make mistakes in the body of the e-mails that we sand out to others online. Common mistakes in e-mails are an every day affair and some wise people have tried to limit the number of mistakes associated to e-mails.

But some people have that carefree attitude towards it. Some people will just sit in front of the PC and type. On completion they will only click on the send button without going through the e-mail to check for wrongly spelt words, grammar or punctuation marks. They hardly even give a second look to the e-mail address of the recipient.

E-mail is a form of communication and it represents your personality to the recipient. Common mistakes in e-mail which should have been avoided are few but damaging to a business or to a relationship.

The following are some common mistakes which should have been avoided if we have properly composed ourselves in front of the PC, but we all seem to be in a hurry thereby finding ourselves entangled in a web of e-mail mistakes.

i. FILLING THE 'TO' LINE FIRST. It is wrong to fill in the e-mail address of the recipients in the 'TO' line before typing the body of the message. If you make any mistake by touching the wrong key on the keyboard the message will automatically be sent to the address that you have earlier put in place. Of course the person will take you as one of those non-serious fellows.

ii. SENDING E-MAIL WITHOUT THE SUBJECT LINE FIRST: E-mails without a subject line are like a newspaper without headlines. The subject line of e-mail is very important to be included in the message because it captures the attention of the recipient easily. Unless if the person is well known to you then it might be read, but if it is for your mailing list then forget the thought that it might be read by them.

iii. FAILING TO PERSONALIZE YOUR E-MAIL: Avoid using such words as 'Hi!' or 'Hello!' in your opening message. It sounds too cold. Your e-mail is supposed to be an informal communication. Try to personalize your e-mail by beginning with 'Dear Harry,' 'Dear Mr. Harry,' or just 'Harry.'

iv. NOT KEEPING THE MESSAGE SHORT AND SIMPLE: You do not need a dictionary by your side before you can type an e-mail message. And you do not expect the recipient at the other end to make use of a dictionary before he can understand your message. Keep it short and simple. Use short paragraphs and short sentences. There is no harm in writing your message as briefly as you can. Who has the time for a very long messages anyway, especially the one that originates from Internet marketers or online business people?

v. FORGETING TO PROOF READ OR EDITS THE MESSAGE: On completion of typing the message, do not forget to proof read or edit for grammatical errors, capitalization and punctuation. Brevity is your watchword. It is good to type the message as draft before sending.

Vi. NOT NOTICING THE TONE OF THE MESSAGE: When you type the message ensure that you are in a good and relaxed mood. Your moods have a way of reflecting in your written or printed words. Keep the tone of the message low and friendly.

vii. BELIEVING THAT YOU CAN SHARE SECRECTS WITH E-MAILS: It is wrong to believe that you can share secrets in e-mails by thinking that no else can see the message other than the intended recipient.

But you should know that once the message leaves your PC, you no longer have control over it. You can delete the draft copies and the sent copies but the ones that you have sent out might haunt you later.

viii. SENDING OF UNSOLICITED E-MAILS: It is wrong to send e-mails to people who have not subscribe to be in your mailing list if you are into online business. Sending of unsolicited e-mails is referred to as spamming and spamming is an international offence. Beware of whom you send unsolicited e-mails to.

ix. THE HABIT OF FORWARDING E-MAILS WITHOUT THE CONSENT OF THE ORIGINATOR: Do not forward an e-mail that was originally sent to another person without the sender asking you to do so.

x. THINKING THAT YOU WILL GET INSTANT RESPONSE FROM E-MAILS: If you are into e-mail marketing, don't expect instant response from the e-mails that you have sent out. People have their schedules and not all of them have access to the Internet on daily basis. Failing to get instant response does not mean that e-mail marketing is not an effective means of communication.

xi. FAILING TO SEND A FOLLOW UP MESSAGE: This is one common mistake that online promoters do on daily basis. They failed to send a second e-mail as a follow up to the first e-mail in order to remind their clients about what they have on offer.

xii. NOT USING A SIGNATURE: Because your e-mail is received at the other end with your name and e-mail address, as the sender does not mean that you should not include it in your message. Your name has to be typed at the end of every message.

Anything you want to do please do it well. If you are into internet marketing you will have to play safe and build a list.Therefore, avoid common misitakes in your emails.


About The Author

Common Mistakes in E-mail (Copyright 2006)
By Haruna Kwandi Mathias, retired Naval Personnel, who is currently an affiliate program promoter. One of his affiliate links is: http://www.yourluckylist.com/index.php/listdonor
Email: hakwa2001@yahoo.com