Tag: working remotely

Successful Email Etiquette

In the business world today, many of us rely on emails more than ever instead of phone calls, but how do we make our email successful? What does that mean? Is the recipient actually reading the email?

The best start to a successful email is a eye-catching subject line. Make sure it is meaningful and focused. Pique the reader’s curiosity and use power words. Next thing to do is get to the point. Don’t mince words. Business people have a lot on their plate and if your email is not short and succinct, it may just get looked over. A study showed that emails up to 50 words get answered fastest. Anything more than 100 words will see a rapid decline in responses. Be sure to ask a question or two so that the recipient feels the need to respond.

When closing your email, avoid the standard scripted ending such as sincerely. I personally like warm wishes or best regards. See what is more natural to you. Be clear on who the email is from. Include your full name above your company name. Don’t assume that your reader remembers you just by your first name.
One last note I want to add is PROOFREAD! Spelling and grammar errors can be detrimental to any business relationship.

Working Remotely – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

When the subject of working from the comforts of my home was suggested to me, I couldn’t be more excited.  I thought about rolling out of bed, pulling out my laptop and moving to my enclosed deck still in my pajamas with a cup of coffee in my hand.  I even thought I was going to be able to keep my favorite talk shows on in the background.  After about a week, I realized I was not productive and working remotely was not all that I expected.

Being as I am not one to fail, I changed my attitude.  I realized that the first step was to put on real clothes…maybe not the suit, but jeans and decent shirt.  This helped me get my mind in the business state of mind.  I also set up a work area designated just for use during work hours.  Besides that bottle of water that I always have at my desk, all eating and drinking is done during my break and lunch times in a different room.  Work was back on track but then came the loneliness.

I feel that it is normally much more efficient to communicate with email, but since working remotely, I have adjusted my thinking.  In most recent weeks, I have picked up the phone to have that human contact and it has made a huge difference on my mental state.  I have also organized a lunch meeting monthly or bimonthly depending on the situation.

There are plusses and minuses to working from home.  It is all what you make of it!