Let us create a 3D eBook for you!
Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com

 

Is Your E-Address Unprofessional?


How much time did you spend on deciding on the appearance of your business cards? Or your letterhead? Why was it so important to get them just right?

Were you trying to present a professional image?

Now, how much time did you spend on the appearance of your email address? Did you give it the slightest thought? Judging by the emails I get from countless colleagues in this business, few do.

There are two parts to an e-address, just as there are to your postal address: who you are, and where you are. Who you are, your e-name comes before the @ symbol, and where you are, your domain name, comes after it.

Your E-Name

People seem to make up e-names with little thought of what they convey to the recipient of their email. If you want to project a professional image, give it more thought than these examples that strike me as unprofessional, and why:

A012345@xxx.xx - Obviously not a human being;

bdc@xxx.xx - Must I guess who has these initials?

lucy@xxx.xx - Cute, no surname (unless it's Lucy);

Admin@xxx.xx - Great personal touch!

Sydney@xxx.xx - Male, female, first name, surname?

BigMoney23@xxx.xx - Where's BigMoney01, -02, etc.?

life@xxx.xx - Is this just anyone in the life dept.?

lifesites@xxx.xx - Or just anyone in the company;

Mimi-and-Max@xxx.xx - How did Max get into Mimi's act?

The general complaint is that it's unclear who you're dealing with. Some even look as if they're from spammers or porn promoters.

People want to know:

a) that they're dealing with a human being,

b) it's a name they know (not just initials),

c) and not the cute receptionist, (or porn queen),

d) or the impersonal administration department,

e) there's no doubt about the sex or surname of the source,

f) and he or she is not one of a number series,

g) or just anyone in the department or firm,

h) or possibly the spouse of their advisor.

Most subscribers to my email newsletter, TIP, have professional e-names that clearly indicate who sent the message. They use the name they're known by so, if they email a client, prospect, or center-of-influence, the recipient has no doubt about who it's from.

Good examples are AlanArcher@xxx.xx, Bill.Burns@xxx.xx, ddavidson@xxx.xx, etc.

Hyphens, and underlines are trickier to remember, so try to avoid them. Some people even have problems with periods. I use 'donpooley', and tell people "It's all one word", to keep it simple.

Initial capitals don't matter, but if you think they help identify you, use them. Capitalising whole names is considered rude by email aficionados (unless it's an acronym), so BILL.BURNS@xxx.xx is not only gauche, but amateurish, and hence unprofessional.

Think about it. If you want to be considered a professional, your image must reflect it in every way. Don't let your e-name dull your image, or confuse your clients.

Your Domain Name

The second part of your e-address, your domain name, is as important as your office address. If your image requires a prestigious downtown office, then your domain should reflect it. Ditto if you seek to indicate that you're unique, and special in some way, or a totally independent advisor.

When we start emailing, or to email friends or relatives, a commonplace domain, such as: telus.net, sympatico.ca, yahoo.com, aol.com, etc., is usual, but it tells recipients of your email either that you are new to digital communication, or that this is not a business message.

On the other hand, while a domain of a large firm such as: clarica.com, freedom55financial.com, assante.com does indicate a business message, it also implies that you are not independent.

Because of this, many advisors advertise their independence by registering their own domains, so you'll see domains such as johnsonfinancial.ca, jackjohnson.com, rrspguy.com, etc. The key here is something that uses your name, your business name, or something readily associated with you.

Domain names are easy to get, and cheap---$35 annually for .ca, less for most others---but they have to be unique to get registered. If you want to know more about how to get one, email me at mailto:donpooley@eTIP.ca.

What Does Your E-Address Say About You?

Your e-address says as much about you as your letterhead or business card, and just as you use them to project a professional image, so can you use your email address.

You email address may actually be more important to your image than your letterhead or business cards. How many letterheads did you use last week? How many business cards did you hand out? How does their combined total compare to the total number of business emails that you sent out?

So, which projects your image more often? And how professional is it?

-----------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2005, Donald F. Pooley, Inc.

Don Pooley has shared his marketing know-how with audiences in major Canadian cities, London, Australia, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore, and now in his free ezine, TIP. Subscribe at http://www.eTIP.ca/, or get free article downloads, and redistribution rights info at http://www.eTIP.ca/Downloads/Publish.html


MORE RESOURCES:

eMail Marketing - Google News

Move over robo-calls, states sell email addresses for campaigns to reach voters - Fox News


Fox News

Move over robo-calls, states sell email addresses for campaigns to reach voters
Fox News
The CAN-SPAM (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing) law enacted in 2003 puts restrictions on commercial mass emailing, but not on political mass emailing. Politicians can "spam" and do. Political messages of any kind, ...

and more »

GetResponse Launches Dedicated UK Website - PR Web (press release)


GetResponse Launches Dedicated UK Website
PR Web (press release)
This data, complemented by statistics showing that 48% of all UK consumers are greatly influenced by deals received by email, indicates a perfect environment for the implementation of email marketing solutions. The GetResponse pricing model – based on ...

and more »

How to Optimize Email Campaign Solutions for Better Results - Brunei News, Brunei Headlines from Brunei fm


How to Optimize Email Campaign Solutions for Better Results
Brunei News, Brunei Headlines from Brunei fm
Email marketing has been described as the most personal advertising medium ever, and that is not without reason. The main reason why so many entities are looking for effective email campaign solutions is because they realize that it is the only way to ...

Email marketing is here to stay - Equimedia Marketing News


Equimedia Marketing News

Email marketing is here to stay
Equimedia Marketing News
Email marketing is not going anywhere, despite claims that the medium is on the way out. According to Econsultancy's latest report, not only does email marketing have "staunch supporters", but for some it works better than any other form of digital ...
Changes and challenges for email marketers in 2012: reportEconsultancy (blog)

all 3 news articles »

Three steps to keeping email marketing simple but effective - Econsultancy (blog)


Three steps to keeping email marketing simple but effective
Econsultancy (blog)
should be a mantra for all email marketers Ensuring you hit your audience with relevant, personalised and timely messaging is crucial. Think of it like a driving test. All the theory in the world, the hours spent memorising the Highway Code, ...
5 Tests That Will Improve Your EmailsBusiness 2 Community

all 2 news articles »

IXACT Contact Introduces Exclusive Email Templates into Its Real Estate CRM - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)


IXACT Contact Introduces Exclusive Email Templates into Its Real Estate CRM
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
In an ongoing effort to make IXACT Contact the best real estate CRM and email marketing system on the market today, the company releases new pre-designed email templates. IXACT Contact subscribers will now be able to choose from a variety of ...

and more »

New York Giants Email Marketing is Not Clicking - Multichannel Merchant


USA TODAY (blog)

New York Giants Email Marketing is Not Clicking
Multichannel Merchant
And I also know email is a pretty inexpensive marketing tool. But with the amount of Giants merchandise flooding the stores in and around Bridgeport and Stamford, CT, TeamFan Shop could have saved themselves some time by suppressing my zip code, ...
Report: Gisele Bundchen emails friends to pray for Tom BradyUSA TODAY (blog)
Rematch on the Gridiron! Giants and Patriots Fans Divided by Teams and InterestsSacramento Bee

all 15,604 news articles »

Forrester Research Recognizes Gold Lasso as an Enterprise Focused Boutique ... - MarketWatch (press release)


Forrester Research Recognizes Gold Lasso as an Enterprise Focused Boutique ...
MarketWatch (press release)
GAITHERSBURG, MD, Feb 01, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Gold Lasso, an email marketing SaaS provider, was recently recognized as a notable boutique firm by Forrester Research in The Forrester Wave(TM): Email Marketing Vendors, Q1 2012.

and more »

LiveIntent and Convertro Team Up to Provide Greater Intelligence in Email ... - MarketWatch (press release)


LiveIntent and Convertro Team Up to Provide Greater Intelligence in Email ...
MarketWatch (press release)
Previous constraints in the email space only made it possible to track last click conversions or direct consumer behaviors back to email, but Convertro's Multi-Attribution service allows advertisers access into every marketing touch that led to a ...

and more »

GetResponse Email Marketing Offers Free Trial - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)


GetResponse Email Marketing Offers Free Trial
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
GetResponse, the leading email marketing provider for the SMB sector and flagship product of online solutions provider Implix, today announced the release of a 30-day free trial of their email marketing solution. The purpose of the free trial account ...

and more »

Click here for Best Buy In-Store Pickup

StreetSideAuto.com

Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?

My Life Through The Lens

NewsScape Domain Is For Sale - $3,500 For Enquiries eMail Us

© NewsScape.biz 2011

home | site map | links

eXTReMe Tracker