What’s in an Email Signature?
Last summer, Mitch Wagner wrote an interesting blog entry called What Does Your E-Mail Signature Say About You? which raises some really interesting questions. Just how much information should be in your email signature?
One of my colleagues asked me to add my telephone number to my email signature, as she didn’t want to have to look it up each time she wanted to call me. I think that’s why they invented speed dial, but I’m pretty accommodating, so I added it. I suppose it’s only common courtesy, and after all, I do want potential clients to be able to reach me, so if I can make it easier for them, I don’t have a problem with that. In most cases, your email signature should probably include your name, business name, and phone number, and your website address if you have one. But what else?
Many people say that your email signature is part of your marketing strategy and that you need to make sure it represents your business effectively. But what exactly does that mean? Should it include your logo? Your tagline? Announce recent achievements and/or current promotions? And how about a cute or clever quote that relates to what you do? Personally I think these are all acceptable, but they can certainly be overdone. I think when your email signature is longer than your message, it’s time to take something out.
Maybe the best solution is to have several different email signatures, perhaps one with simply basic contact information, some with various promotional messages, and some with various quotes, and rotate them regularly. If you email certain people on a regular basis, they don’t need or want to read that stuff over and over and over, and if it’s not always the same, they’re more likely to pay attention to it.
My current email signature reads simply:
Janet Barclay, MVA
Organized Assistant
Maximizing Your Time and Space
http://www.organizedassistant.com
Phone/Fax: (905) 538-1044
What do you think - not enough? Too much?
What’s included in YOUR email signature?
Interesting discussion, Janet. My current email signature contains my logo, phone number, web and blog addresses (with links).
But what I really wanted to tell you about was my friend’s email signature. It varies from time to time, and I never paid much attention until the day she added “1st prize winner for lamingtons at the Royal Melbourne Show” (that’s like a big state fair, and lamingtons are a cake Australians love). Well, suddenly it opened up a conversation and I learned something about her I didn’t already know. Needless to say I got to try some prize-winning lamingtons, and scored secret baking tips along the way. I think it’s great she shared something of herself with colleagues, clients and friends.
Comment by Angela — January 9, 2008 @ 4:48 pm
I agree with Angela’s comment that one should put the occasional newsflash in with their signature but I also agree with you Janet, it can be overdone.
What drives me MENTAL about e-mail signatures is people who DON’T use one.
I got an e-mail one day (in my volunteer position) that asked me to send an important bit of information that was related to the person who wrote the e-mail. The signature said “Deb”. That was it. The return address was something like “groovy-girl@freemail.com”. Surprise, surprise I had 15 versions of “Deb” in the database and not ONE of them had the address “groovy-girl@freemail.com”.
I didn’t have a clue which Deb I was supposed to be sending which information or even if it was a hoax.
People NEED their full name, and contact information in their e-mail messages.
Comment by Jacki Hollywood Brown — January 10, 2008 @ 9:38 am
Hey Janet,
I’m guilty of having a long one : ) I try to remember to take it out with people who know me well. But I have also found that since I added some achievements that people didn’t know about me it has opened up doors to new opportunities and it makes people see me differently. Even people who have known me a long time, but didn’t know these things commented. I dont’ generally announce my achievements to friends, so using my blog and email signature makes it easier to let people know : ) P.S. I just mentioned you in one of my posts… : )
Comment by Ariane Benefit, Neat & Simple Living — January 28, 2008 @ 2:07 pm