You may not realize it, but you use a specialized vocabulary every day. In the professional setting of the work place, this specialized vocabulary is referred to as “jargon.”

Jargon is the language you use to discuss issues within your corporation (e.g., XYZ Widget Company), within your industry (e.g., insurance), or within your type of position (e.g., marketing). This language can be made up of technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms. read full article…

Does punctuation matter in an email message? Yes! Why is following the rules of punctuation so important? To answer that question, ask yourself another question – are your customers or colleagues going to be comfortable with your work when you can’t even punctuate a sentence properly? By using proper punctuation, you can demonstrate that you are professional and competent. read full article…

Are you creating a positive, professional impression when you email your co-workers and customers? Or, is Miss Manners shrieking in horror every time you hit the send button? Are you being efficient and effective when you send messages, or are you wasting time? To find out, take this fun quiz.

1.The tone of a professional email message should be: read full article…

When you finish typing an email message, don’t forget to sign it. In email language, that doesn’t mean simply typing your name. The “signature block” contains a great deal more information.

An email is a blank screen. It contains none of the contact information found on traditional company letterhead or stationery. read full article…

No matter how high tech the world becomes, there are still many old-fashioned problems regarding communication. With email, you face the same challenge as you do with regular mail — convincing the recipient to open the message (or envelope).

Many email recipients delete messages without ever opening them. read full article…

As a professional business person, how do you want to be perceived? Even something as seemingly insignificant as spelling can determine whether others believe you’re competent or sloppy. Take a moment, and think about that.

Ask yourself, “Are my customers likely to want my services if I can’t be bothered with the details of spelling a word correctly?” The answer is no. read full article…

Email systems are notorious for sending messages to “la la land,” never to be heard from again. And, email viruses are continually running rampant and wreaking havoc. So, if you’re worried that your message didn’t arrive, you have a valid concern.

How can you verify that someone received your message without using the return receipt function and running the risk of offending the person? What other options are available to ensure your message was received? read full article…

This is something I’ve set up myself, recently, to send mail through Gmail without having the unencrypted e-mail stored on their servers.To achieve this, you’ll need a Google GMail account, PGP or GnuPG, Mozilla Thunderbird, and the Enigmail extension.

First, set your Gmail account to allow POP3 access. T read full article…

The “return receipt” (or receipt verification) is an email feature that tells you if the recipient received your message. Though this is a valuable email tool, it can be tricky.

The rules for corresponding inside a company are somewhat different from those used for sending messages outside a company. (If you’d like to know how the rules for external communication are different, go to www.KeepCustomers.com.) read full article…

One of the most vitally important - and often neglected - aspects of designing a web site is to include ways to capture identities of people visiting the site. This means to get the name and email address (minimally) of people who visit the site, so you can promote your product or service to them in the future.

Let’s say that you have a web site and it is set up so that people can buy your products directly online. read full article…