eKourier April 2015

FEATURES Managing Your Emails With Ethics! T he way we communicate with each other is determined primarily by individual action. When communicating with

others we choose or elect to speak on the telephone, have face-to-face interactions, SMS text messages, Viber, Whatsapp, Yammer, Facebook and Twitter, our forms of available communi- cation has endless possibilities. Another form of important communica- tion between each other is the silent but sometimes deadly email. The handling of an email is an important every day task which includes internal (Kennards) and external (web site enquires) emails. When sending/responding to an email it is also important to consider: - Always enter a concise and relevant subject. This will ascertain the importance of the email. - Keep the list of recipients to a minimum. Only send an email to relevant people. To others it will be an annoying waste of their time. - Limit your email to one subject per message. Other items in the email will only cause confusion. - Answer emails swiftly. In the majority of cases our customers, suppliers, contrac- tors, and team members require quick responses and especially potential customer web site enquires. - Use Proper Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation. Our reputation and image depend on us providing information in a professional manner. - Only forward relevant information and files. There is nothing more annoying than wasting time downloading an attachment to others or the context of the email that is irrelevant.

time. It is important to consistently scan your inbox for senders and subjects that may indicate urgent attention ie: web enquiries. - Read your email before sending it. It enables you a chance to correct any spelling or grammatical errors (such as ‘Americanisms’), and also gives you the opportunity to read it from the recipients opinion. Generally ask yourself can the message I am trying to communicate be taken out of context. - Using emails to discuss confiden- tial information. Sending an email is like sending a postcard and may be read by anyone. If you wouldn’t say it in an open forum then don’t send it. EMAILS ARE A SERVANTS TOOL WHICH YOU ARE THE MASTER! - Don’t reply to spam. Doing so will only confirm your address is live and increase the amount of unwanted emails you receive. - WRITING SENTENCES IN CAPITAL LETTERS (uppercase). This may be considered rude and that you are shouting at the recipients. ‘ ‘

- SMS type abbreviations such as pls,r,u,LOL etc. The use of these word shortcuts are fine using a mobile telephone or SMS message between friends but should not be used in a professional business communication forum. - Don’t put the name of the recipient(s) in the email address book until you are ready to forward. How many times have we inadvertently pushed the send button instead of the save button before we have finished compiling an email. There are four things to consider ‘What to Do’ when receiving an email:

D – D elete

D – D elegate by forwarding to another team member with dates and time frames for follow-up

D – D o it now by responding immediately

D – D efer by allocating a later time when to follow-up With this in mind always remember email etiquette – if it’s important then call. Emails are a servants tool which you are the Master! Wayne Birch Operations Manager (VIC)

- Leave reading emails to an appropriate

14 Kennards Kourier April 2015