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Email - To Reply or Not to Reply, That's the Question
In his January 13th, 2010 blog for the Harvard Business Review, Peter Bregman took on the whole topic of email etiquette. He started the piece with an anecdote about a marketing consultant who had what he thought was a great meeting about a branding project with the head of marketing at a pharmaceutical company. A month later, Bregman explained, the consultant's follow-up emails and voicemails remained unanswered. Had he lost the job? Was the head of marketing sick? Busy? What was up?
Email is two things: A remarkably easy way to communicate with people and an equally easy way to ignore them. Personally, I think that if you're going to use email, you should try to answer messages in a timely manner, particularly those that need only a short reply. If you don't want to do that, don't use email to communicate with people. Here are a couple of anecdotes of my own. I once tried to get information from a supplier via their hotmail email address, the one printed on their ad. When I didn't receive any response, I called and was told that they rarely checked the hotmail account. I've also dealt with a supplier with an email firewall that blocked the info@ messages from their own site.
There's no doubt about it. Business email is a chore. But it remains the most effective way for communicating with customers, suppliers and other business consultants. Do you remember faxing? Good email etiquette is good business so soldier through your inbox. To reply or not to reply? I say, reply.
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Lori Smith, , Editor-in-Chief
Lori Smith is the editor of Gifts and Tablewares, Canada's premiere gifts and tablewares magazine. Written for retailers of gifts, tablewares, housewares, stationery and home furnishing accessories, its objective is to help readers increase their sales and run their businesses more profitably by providing information on new products, merchandising, small business management, customer service, consumer behavior and industry news. The magazine is published six times a year by BIG Magazines, LP, a leading Canadian information company.
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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on January 13, 2010 5:11 PM.
The previous post in this blog was Is listening to customers bad for your business? .
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Comments (4)
Hi Lori
You make many great points. (At the risk of sounding like somebody's grampa), I find that the opposite is often true today, particularly with people who have only recently entered the work world.
On many occasions, I have asked in an email for the individual to please call me by telephone to discuss whatever matter we are involved with more fully. I have provided a telephone number where I can be reached and when a good time to call would be. Almost invariably, my request has been greeted with a return email! This only seems to extend the length of time that the matter can be resolved and can be frustrating.
Email is great and we use it constantly in our daily business with our many customers and prospects across North America, but the "personal touch" of a phone call cannot be replaced in some circumstances!
Greg Sprout
Co-Founder,
www.epicureanfoods.com
Posted by Greg Sprout | January 26, 2010 1:05 PM
Posted on January 26, 2010 13:05
Hi Lori,
After reading your blog I'm wondering why some businesses publish e-mail addresses when they don't answer the messages or block them with a firewall.
I'm tired to waist my time while being kept on hold for an uncertain time. And being redirected to a voice-mail sometimes ends up with a message on my voice-mail. Therefore, I prefere the e-mail as it is more effective and economique.
In my opinion it's a rude behaviour not to anwer an e-mail message.
Posted by Peter Nauer | January 29, 2010 10:07 AM
Posted on January 29, 2010 10:07
Hi Lori
Yes I think one should reply to most emails. As well try to be somewhat polite about it. It is the way or the future like it or not. One problem is that there is really no question or reason to rely and you wonder why they are talking to you like they know you. I seem to have friends and business partners from all around the world.
I love to say Hi and ask questions but now at 30 + emails a day I have to cut back. You are right emails save time and money and that’s what it all about. Right!
Ron Thompson
Ernest and Lee Gifts
Posted by Ron Thompson | February 8, 2010 7:49 PM
Posted on February 8, 2010 19:49
You have a great Blog here Mate. Love your content very informative, Please keep up the good work.
Posted by bed bath and beyond coupons | June 15, 2010 9:12 PM
Posted on June 15, 2010 21:12