Proper Networking and Email Formats

Often times when sifting through networks, I see some extremely terrible things. Just as your clothing offline shows how professional you are, your typing and email formats show how professional you are online.

Many of us have read the basic networking tips, what to do and what not to do. What's spam, what's not. Although there are several tips you hardly ever see, and need to be mentioned. These apply to every day conversation as well as ads.

The following is a list of things to avoid when networking and sending emails:

1. Grammar and Spelling
Nothing bugs me more than to see grammar mistakes. Some are forgivable, as I know we all make mistakes. However, some are deliberate or signs of laziness. I don't ever expect someone to spell check a reply on a group, but using capital letters at the beginning of sentences and periods shouldn't be left out. Also things like "u" instead of "you" are unacceptable. Message boards and groups are NOT chat rooms.

2. Using All Caps
This tends to fall into the grammar and spelling category, but I thought I would make mention of it alone. Online, the use of caps is translation for shouting. If you need to get a point across, by all means shout. Just don't write your entire message in caps (or vise versa - refer to the tip above).

3. Excessive Exclamation Marks
This mostly applies to ads, since I know we can get excited when talking to fellow WAHMs on a casual level. I absolutely cringe when I read an ad with (!!!!) after every sentence. This is probably because I learned early excessive exclamation marks is a huge no-no in ad writing. It indicates hype, and no one wants to read pure hype. One exclamation mark is good enough, and more is unprofessional.

4. Fancy Stationery
It might look neat to you, but extremely irritating to others. You wouldn't see an envelope covered with stickers from your electric company would you? Or a statement from your bank on pretty stationery that says "I don't do mornings". Not only that, but many groups and email programs will reject the code for the stationery. I can't tell you how many messages I've seen on Yahoo Groups that start out with "XYZ Stationery Header". That doesn't look professional at all. Save the fancy stationery for your personal mail.

5. Arguments
We all feel the need to put our two cents in sometimes, although while networking with business it's usually not a good idea. Unless it specifically concerns you, try to stay out of arguments and heated discussions. There's a time to say something and a time to keep quiet. Knowing the difference is the only way to improve your networking status.

There are many other "no-no's" that we see on a regular basis, but the ones listed above are the top mistakes many networkers make. Don't forget - your emails and words are a direct reflection of your business online!

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Anita DeFrank & Kara Kelso, authors of Direct Sales Success, specialize in coaching direct sales representatives to reach their goal of becoming successful in their field. Visit http://www.DirectSalesHelpers.com for free weekly tips.