"Know your Email Client"
Many people aren't even sure what an Email Client is. If you're thinking that it's someone you email in order to do business with them, you need to keep reading!
The other day, I was talking with Charlie Hall, who owns a large manufacturing company. His company is one of those rare manufacturers who is willing to sell directly to home-based EBiz Owners. I was asking Charlie about the different problems he was having with setting up wholesale accounts for people who are relatively new to business.
One of the things he mentioned specifically was that many people don't know how to use their Email Client properly.
An Email Client is not a person. It is the software on your computer that you use to send and receive Email. While there are several Email Clients out there, there is one that comes built in to virtually every home computer sold on the market today. It's part of Microsoft's Internet Explorer (the Web Browser that comes free with all computers), and it's called Outlook Express.
Outlook Express is a "light" version of Microsoft Outlook. The full-blown Outlook software is an Email Client and much more; it's a very in depth scheduling tool. However, you have tobuyOutlook, usually bundled with one of the Microsoft Office products.
Youdon'thave to buy Outlook Express. As I said, it's included with the Internet Explorer Browser that comes pre-loaded on virtually every home computer sold, at least in the US.
Since Outlook Express is the Email Client I use, that's the one I'm going to use as an example here. You see, this Newsletter Article is not abouthow to use a particular Email Client. It's about why you should understand what pretty much any Email Client can do for you when you communicate with someone.
When you're contacting Wholesale Suppliers, for example, in order to set up wholesale accounts for your EBiz, you need to look like a professional. Or at least, like someone who has a good handle on what EBiz is about. To do that, you need to communicate well via email. I can't give you specific "point here and click there" info in this Newsletter about the things you should learn, because your Email Client may not be Outlook Express. However, all good Email Clients do the things you should be doing, and you can learn about them easily through their Help Menus. So, here are the few basic things you should understand about your Email Client.
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Spell Checking: Every good Email Client has a Spell Checker. You can set your Email Client's Spell Checker to automatically check each email you send out. It will pop up on your screen, show you words that you may have misspelled, and suggest the correct spellings for them. When you're communicating with someone as a business, please use your Spell Checker. Yes, it can get tedious when you're just sending emails to friends and you don't care about spelling. If you don't leave it on all the time, though, I promise you that you will forget to turn it on when you need it the next time. When you're contacting people in order to do business with them, you need to look professional, and correct spelling is very important.
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Signature Files: Your Email Client has a Signature File feature, if it's a good program. If not, consider switching to one that does, like Outlook Express. The "Sig File" feature, as most people call it, allows you to create custom signatures for your emails. A Sig File is usually your name, your business name, your return email address and your web site address, all neatly arranged in a little paragraph at the end of every email you send out. Many businesspeople also include a phone number, and a business slogan if they have one. You can also include a little advertising, like "Buy stuff from Vinny's Place", or "Click Here to subscribe to my Newsletter". Using this feature insures that everyone who reads your emails will know exactly who they are dealing with every time. It also creates a professional look to your email. You can set up more than one Sig File if you choose. For example, you can have one Signature that you use or your business emails, and one that you use for your personal emails if you choose.
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HTML (Rich Text): Your Email Client can also be set to display messages that you receive, in either Plain Text or HTML (Rich Text or RTF). If you have your Email Client set to display messages in Plain Text, you will not be able to properly display messages sent to you that have HTML components such as images, enhanced text or web site links in them. Sometimes, those messages will display as a confusing jumble of letters and symbols. You should make sure that your Email Client is set to display HTML. Many businesses communicate using HTML in their emails, and you don't want to delete something because it looks like a jumbled mess, only to find out later that it was an Approval Email from a Wholesale Supplier!
There are many other things that a good Email Client can do for you. Message Rules that file your incoming messages into separate folders, or forward certain messages to other people, for example. Font settings that make your email look clean and professional. The list goes on. Check your Email Client Help Menu to find out how to use all these things and more.
I've detailed what I consider to be the three most important parts of using your Email Client for business above. You should, however, explore the rest of your Email Client.
One thing your Email Client can't do for you is speak clearly and professionally. When you email anyone in business, always start your email respectfully, give them your full name, and all the details you think they'll need in order to do what you're asking of them. It's a very simple way to help insure the overall success of your business.
Chris Malta
Founder/CEO
Worldwide Brands, Inc.
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