First e-Impressions

I just got back from a long trip. What is so special about this? I tried out something new, for me that is :)
I deliberately stayed away from computers and the internet. Two reasons: The connectivity in the area I visited is not the best. Secondly, I wanted to see what people do to get in touch with me do. I had set my mail to auto respond with a message pointing to my mobile number for urgent matters.

The good news is that it worked. Those who needed to talk to me did.

So what is the story, you might ask.

Well, this story is about those emails that are in my inbox. I have just checked my inbox and guess what? I find that I respond to mails where the subject line is specific, first.

And the ones that I have not yet opened contain this in the subject line:
(no subject)

Normally, I respond to all my mails the very same day. When faced with a back log such as this, I need to prioritize. This is my list:

Ongoing projects
Specific requests
Updates from my professional and friends network
Standard statements and reports from financial institutions
Forwards that look interesting
Special promotional offers

Then perhaps, maybe those that have (no subject) in the subject line.

This is my priority.

I am sure all of you there have your own methods to sort through your mail.

I find that the (no subject) email irks me the most, just slightly more than mails that say 'hi'.. from people that I have already met at least a half dozen times.

The first impression that I get from such mails is not great. I consider the individual, thoughtless and uncaring; adjectives that you do not want in your professional life.

You might say: Gayatri, you are going too far with this. What if somebody just forgot? After all, everyone is quite busy and such things do happen.

Yes.. I agree. However, most email software puts out an alert saying 'This mail has no subject, do you still want to send it?' This is a safeguard against forgetfulness.

If this too fails, and you find that you have sent out mails without a subject; once you catch this mistake, send an apology email. Simple. And nothing makes a good impression than a well timed apology. More on this on a later blog!

So what makes a good subject line?

That too is simple:

Be short
Well, you all surely know this, so I will not elaborate.

Be specific
Now, this is something that requires a bit of thought. The subject line must grab your attention, and relate to the content.
Instead of saying Meeting Schedule say All Staff Meeting at 4pm.
Instead of saying Weekly report say Weekly Report for week 1-7th March 2009.
Instead of saying Travel plans, say Travel Plans- Chennai March First week.
Your correspondent will understand what the mail is about, and months later, it would be easier for you to search through your mails when you need to double check a date or find an attachment. Best of all, you leave behind a professional impression.


What do you think? Let me know how you deal with such emails.

See you in these pages next Monday.

Gayatri