Did you ever notice that when e-mail, you tend to give it a voice ? You decide because....you know the person....and don't like them...that there is a snicker, some hidden meaning only YOU know...there must be a problem....You lend your own interpretation based upon your pre-conception ...or more simply..."Ya like it or Ya Don't" cuz you think you already know whether you do or not.
E-mail is both a blessing and a curse...it is an outstanding way to communicate (thank you Al Gore :) ) because you can:
- Communicate day or night...anytime and know your recipient (or at least be pretty sure) has the message almost instantly (There is that dead letter office somewhere in the blogosphere...)
- Not have to have a fax machine that my blur words...unable to send images in color...Can be clear, crisp communication !
- You can send to more than one person at once...an e-mail to your sphere, an offer to parties in 2 different locations, broadcast a listing...invite people to an open house
- "Talk" when you have laryngitis....instant message if you like...
- Reference other sources with links
- Showcase your listings
- Teach the world what you know from your experience
- Become an expert with your blog...choose your own voice
It can be a curse because:
- What I meant, is not what you understood...now we have created a barrier not a bridge in our communication
- The receiver has a pre-conceived notion of what is communicated because of the title, the sender, the urgency...the_______
- Not being able to see the recipient's reaction allows "Brewing/Broodng" time to make sure you store up all that nastiness to spew at the next available opportunity
- You judge the person by how well they write, spell, illustrate, use graphics when maybe blogging is not their best thing....they talk better than they write...you misunderstood their tone
- TONE ...now there's a word...you choose to perceive it as you wish....
E-mail is a wonderful thing...not sure what we did without it...but we also need FACE time...and the opportunity to make our communication understood....personal...professional....Know that not all you write, blog, e-mail is understood the way you wrote, blooged, mailed....and you may just want to phone, visit, talk to make sure everyone knows what you said is what you meant. ENJOY !
Sally K. & David L. Hanson, ABR, CDPE, CSS, e-Pro,ILHM, REDS
Here, here! The 'voice' we use in email matters. We need to be very careful to remain neutral-voiced so as not to convey what was not intended. We need to speak naturally and in a friendly manner. As for spelling and grammer...didn't your mother tell you it would matter one day! THanks for the post!
Tone is everything. Some people carry on rants -- in fact, just received an email from an obnoxious agent this morning, complaining about something that was actually all his fault. My husband says that's because people used to learn that if you shook your fist at somebody, they would kill you. But nowadays, people think they can say whatever they want in an email, even if it means they are shooting themselves in the head when they do it.
You betcha ladies....lotsa verbal suicide on the net ! But sometimes the "mis-conception" is based on "I know I don 't like her...so anything she has to say....bla, bla, bla..." And my mother was an English teacher...so I heard the spelling and grammar for a lifetime !
I just had to reassure my secretary today when an email came in from a client that said, "check with your girl" that he wasn't intentionally trying to kirt, offensive or angry.
i am so not "the girl
the wife
or better yet.....just directed to David do I look like wallpaper
I used to love email but now I really hate it
It makes life a lot easier...but there are times when you look at the sender...."get the message" and get vibes that may not be what the author intended....