Five ways to use e-mail to lose prospects

1. Send huge file attachments

Do you know what size that picture is? Send an extremely large file to a prospect who uses a dial-up modem and you may find out … when you receive a reply demanding you never contact that person again.

2. Confuse your e-mail address with your Web address

Nothing says "I’m in the dark on the basics" quite like giving out www.YourWebSite.com as your e-mail address (or vice versa).

3. Rely on e-mail for urgent messages

A statement like, "The transaction will be in jeopardy if you don’t respond in two hours," has no place in an e-mail. Use the phone or discuss the situation in person.

4. Hit the Send button too soon

Read over your e-mail before you send it to make sure your message is clear and error-free. Also, double-check you have the right recipient before you send the message.

5. Use an auto-responder in lieu of a quick, real response

How does it make you feel when you call a business and get a recording that says you are important to them and someone will answer your call momentarily … only to remain on hold listening to this message for 17 minutes? E-mail is no different. What impresses people is timely responses with real information.

Illustration © Eyewire.

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