Rethinking email

BY JOHN GIRARD

In the 2.0 world in which we work, live and communicate, does email still matter? With all of the emphasis and resources focused on Tw itter, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media, can a relict of the 20th centur y make a difference from a business point of view? By now wise executives have realized that the future of connecting and collaborating with customers and clients is all about following, liking, linking and poking Email has gone the way of the cursively penned letter right?

Surprising to some, email is certainly not passé and should command the attention of C-suite in most organizations A well-designed email strategy remains one of the most effective and efficient ways to cultivate and nurture a solid customer base. Key to this success is the wellsigned element Few things annoy consumers (and probably you) more than a poorly executed email campaign that is essentially a spam machine. At the other end of the which had material language changes which were never agreed to and which favored the opposite party. One dubiously allowed a customer the right not to pay for product received Another demanded my guarantee for a service well outside my control or ability to influence Fortunately I took the time to read through the complete final contracts

With the advent of electronic communication means and the ease it allows to make unidentified changes, one must be very careful not to be swindled by unscrupulous persons Lawyers may get bad publicity and are often condemned, but in most cases they are a valuable asset to have on your team, and few lawyers today will be party to contract negotiations which are dishonest

It is almost impossible to protect against every type of fraud, but contract fraud is one thing to be looking for PB

Matthew D. Mohr CEO, Dacotah Paper Co mmohr@dacotahpaper.com

spectrum, emailed newsletters, time-sensitive deals and advanced notice of product launches are all generally very well received This is especially true when the customer perceives value in the email, perhaps by being the first to know something

As you design your email strategy, remember to consider the impact of mobile device and tablet email. Although the statistics vary, there has been a tremendous increase in mobile/tablet access, something approaching a three-fold increase in the last three years Most emails are now initially opened on a mobile device or tablet.

Email is the future If you don’t believe me, send me an email PB

John Girard Founder, Sagology John@JohnGirard net Twitter: @JohnGirard