We generate and respond to tons of e-mails everyday.
Beyond the content in them, I think e-mail endings and out of office messages require some thought!
Here is some inspiration!
This is my e-mail sign off (as on 25-08-2012-12pm onwards)
– The “keep parking” goes to a bit.ly bundle that has links of some case studies and presentations of our #1 game Parking Frenzy – See this
The idea is to get the recipient of the mail to be intrigued by your business.
Suggestion – Say or link something at the end of your mail that almost begs for action (other than obviously hitting reply to your mail).
If you don’t have anything unique, at least insert a link to a nice section of your website and describe it well (Example call it ‘Our Wall of Fame’ and link it to your case studies).
Don’t put just a dumb weblink to the home page of your site!
– I shamelessly add my personal blog/s links on e-mails.
I am not sure if this is good corporate culture and is even allowed in MNCs, etc. I get away with it.
If you can, you should add a link to a blog/photo album/site that defines you as an individual. Could be your passion, your hobby, anything!
– I was inspired this morning to add a disclaimer for my 2win colleagues not to reply to my mails on the weekend.
I got a subtle message from one of them last week indicating that reading office e-mails over the wekend was not their priority.
Completely agree!
Unfortunately my days are blurred and I work and play as and when I feel inspired. When I notice something or have an inspiration, I e-mail people…
Hence this disclosure.
– Out of office message/holiday messages:
This is what I had created last time:
OOF (Out of Office) e-mail is a tricky one.
It depends on the business your run, the protocols, etc. etc.
I added this message and much to my surprise, the Asia CEO of PR Newswire visited me out of intrigue (thanks to the India office sending her this forward)!
I just wanna make people smile when I mail them – even if I’m not around!
The statutory warning stuff…
Oh, I forgot. People still have some strange, wikipedic sounding garbage legalese at the end of their mails.
The ‘anything you say, do, can do, will not do, have done…will be done…can be done…has not been done… is not liable for…. etc. etc. ‘stuff’ extends for a few miles.
When you (unfortunately) print out a mail with this kinda kachra, the printer runs out of paper and ink ‘coz the garbage has more content in it, than the mail.
Never understood it. Never read it. Never will.
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What do you mail? Do you have ideas and things you do that you could share?
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