E-mails are part of the online marketing strategy for most companies. You can customise them to deliver an intended message based on available data. Owing to this, customers are bombarded with many e-mails they might delete before they even read them. They filter them based on their importance and e-mail heading. Therefore, to make your e-mail catch the reader’s attention, get a professional e-mail address.
To understand customer behaviour, put yourself in their shoes. Despite the seriousness of a business engagement, if the client or customer has an e-mail address like [email protected], you will be sceptical about proceeding with the arrangement.
An e-mail address shows the relationship between the sender and the business. It is also a way of advertising the brand to customers. However, they should be separate from personal e-mails such as [email protected]. An official business e-mail should have the business domain name after the e-mail recipient, i.e. [email protected].
Reasons Why Professional E-mails Are Important
First Impressions
Any business would want to impress on the first instance, especially those still new in the market. E-mails are the most common form of communication with potential clients, and a professional e-mail sends the right message. It creates immediate trust and business credibility, which goes a long way in maintaining professionalism in subsequent transactions.
A Branding Opportunity
With every e-mail you send out using professional e-mail, you are marketing the brand. Essentially, you are pointing the customer to a brand you represent, with the e-mail content as the discussion about the brand. Ensure your e-mail wordings represent the brand well, with professionalism and courtesy leading the way. A personal e-mail may communicate your words but do little or nothing to represent the brand. Personal e-mail represents personalities, while professional e-mail markets a brand, which is evident from the domain name.
Trust
3 out of every 4 people believe that professional e-mails build customer trust. An e-mail recipient with a domain name associates the communication with a brand. They can follow the brand to know more about it and attributes the engagement to what the business stands for. It builds trust with the customer, which is a positive approach to business, unlike an e-mail ending with Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo or AOL.
Customers begin to recognise the brand in subsequent communication, increasing familiarity, brand recognition and trust.
Flexibility
Professional e-mails allow the organisation to customise e-mail based on the user, department and seniority. You can automatically redirect any e-mail to a respondent in the requisite department for immediate action. For instance, an e-mail such as [email protected] can go to the sales manager or the entire sales team for action. Queries are handled with the attention they deserve. It also helps in customising business operations, especially when the business wants to keep the e-mail addresses of specific persons in the organisation. It also disassociates business processes from someone to a system that can handle the issue even if that person leaves. It also reduces the number of e-mails set up for the organisation.
Communication Management
You have greater control of communication through professional e-mails. It helps you organise your communication modules and manage every piece of information sent, even if the recipient is unavailable.
Continuity
With controlled communication and system hierarchy, you can create a customised e-mail for new people who join the organisation. You can also liaise with respective departments for efficient functionality. This can be done based on the working timeline; ad hoc or long term, as long as it serves the purpose. If people leave the organisation, you can monitor their conversation to keep tabs on all information passed through the system long after they have gone.
Anyone Can Respond
Anyone within the department or management can respond, even if the person being addressed is unavailable. The system can keep track of all conversations and respond where necessary. It brings transparency, accountability and openness, even if the intended respondent is not around. Centralising communication gives the business openness and professionalism, which might otherwise clog the information flow without the intended respondent.
Process of Creating a Professional E-mail Account
The most common platforms for business e-mails are free e-mail hosting providers such as Google and Hotmail (taking the @gmail.com and @hotmail.com format). They also have the paid version, which allows users to use their domains to sign in. You can also create aliases that you can redirect to an inbox of your choosing. However, there are better ideas for a professional e-mail.
Stick to the simple process of professional e-mail creation. You can create an e-mail from your business, i.e., [email protected]. Avoid numbers or slang words in your e-mail, as it reduces credibility. Use your real names as they appear on the professional e-mail, the department, or the company’s name.
Writing your real name, department or company makes the e-mail memorable, appropriate and professional.