Want to Build A Following/Friends/Anything? Answer Emails

There is no better way to build a blog, domain, or company than through strong communication.  Emails are the leading form of communication yet so many people neglect it.  It’s a simple process, someone emails you, you respond.  It doesn’t have to be at length.  It can be short and to the point.  Start off by addressing the sender,  put a short note , and finish off with a salutation and your name. How hard is that?

Evidently, it is very hard.  I am always surprised by those that don’t respond.  The other day there was a person/company looking for domains to put in their auction.  They posted in a public forum they still needed names.  I sent some in.  I knew they may not have been of quality but they certainly weren’t complete junk, I’m not a newbie.  What surprised me was no response.  No email saying, thanks for trying to help us fill an auction but we’re going to pass.  The next day the auction is full and the domains are posted.  I guess they didn’t like mine or maybe I sent it to the wrong address.  I’m just going to guess the former but there is no way to know since they never acknowledged my email. Now I have no ill feelings towards the company, this isn’t meant to call them out.  It’s just a perfect example of what’s wrong with many companies and people right now. They’ve lost the value of communication and a good chance to build a positive reputation.

This loss of communication is something that can be taken advantage of. Because people don’t expect an email response, when you do, you leave them with a positive thought.  They think, well that sure was a quick response, or that was nice of them to get back to me.  We all realize how busy people are and it makes us feel good that someone took time out of their busy day to acknowledge us.  Almost everyone remembers an email you received from a person you really respect, perhaps a celebrity, or famous person.  It made your day and made you feel important.  Every day emails may not mean that much to a person but I promise it still means something.

I don’t expect an email response to every email I send off, but it is appreciated.  Lets me know they received it and their opinion on the matter.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t respond to solicitation or spam but I try to respond to the rest.  The biggest problem I have is that I respond mentally to emails but don’t respond in an actual email.  For my business, I try to do many myself but to those I can’t, I have someone in the office respond, and yes, sometimes using my name.  I told them what to say so it’s as good as me saying it and if they respond,  I still know what I sent.  I , by no means,  am perfect when it comes to email responses but I do make a conscious effort to try and respond to those that email me.  I may not have the hundreds,  if not thousands , that some people have,  but if I did, I would be honored that so many people wanted to talk to me.  I would have had to have done something important to have achieved that.