Is your daily business writing TOO business-like?
In e-mail, in the name of being professional, do you tend to shy away from asking your customers about a recent vacation or a sick child?
Pretend you’re talking to them on the phone: would you jump right into your business conversation or instead ask how they are…how their weekend was? The answer is the latter.
If you’re writing the first e-mail of the day to your customer, start with a short personal reference, and close with one as well. Successive e-mail messages to the same customer on the same day can be brief and to the point. This is similar to working in an office, when you say “good morning” to everyone and then get on with your business day.
Depending on how well you know the customer, don’t be afraid to share a bit of personal information about yourself; for example: your customer loves hiking and you learned about new walking sticks, or you found a great organic restaurant in an area you both know.
Think of your daily business writing as a way to get to know your customer and vice versa. It builds and strengthens relationships, which is your goal. With waning opportunities to meet in person, this may be your best chance to show you are a friendly, appealing, and trusted resource.
Better Communications empowers companies to make written communications a competitive asset – clear writing for a complex world!
