According to Harvard Business Review, professionals receive about 120 new emails each day. That represents a huge number of opportunities for an email mishap to cause grief.
Risks of Not Double Checking Before Hitting “Send”
We have all sent an email that, in hindsight, we perhaps shouldn’t have. Most “problem emails” aren’t blow-up confrontations, of course – they are made troublesome by simple oversights and mistakes. In the fast-paced B2B world, that can make you look foolish and derail all of your careful efforts.
Eight Things to Check Before Sending an Email
1 Recipient
First and foremost, be sure you have the correct email address for your intended recipient. There’s nothing quite like following up in a week or two only to discover your contact has never heard of you before.
2 Subject Line
Your subject line should be descriptive, but concise. Use first name personalization where appropriate, but be careful that your message can’t be mistaken for an automated ad.
3 “From” Field
If your intended recipient does not know you (or doesn’t know you well) it’s wise to put your organization in the “From” field – for example: “George at AIMG”.
4 File Attachments
If you will be including attachments, always make sure they are actually there. Some email clients will stop you if you forget, but not all. Try to avoid sending unexpected file attachments whenever possible.
5 In-Text Links
Likewise, if you are going to include links, double-check that they lead to the correct page. Most recipients will not hunt around your website to find out where they were supposed to go.
6 Banned Word List
Deliverability is the key to effective email. Sadly, there are many ways to end up in the spam filter. Avoid using words like “free,” “deal,” and “bargain,” as well as multiples of any punctuation (especially exclamation point and dollar sign).
7 Your Email Signature
Make sure you have an accurate, timely email signature picked out in your email settings. Your signature should always include alternate ways to get in touch with you, such as your direct office phone number.
S8pelling and Grammar
While most people don’t care (and aren’t great at these themselves), some B2B decision-makers are sure to look at your spelling as a reflection of the quality you can offer.