Effective email contains a proper email signature on all outgoing messages. Many lawyers and law firm staff members, however, don’t have an email signature – or worse, have an improper one.
Every e-mail you send out is a representation of your firm. Every word you write says something about your firm. Every message you send must be professional and complete – that includes an email signature.
Why is it so important that you have an email signature? Well, because:
- Your clients and potential clients know exactly how to get in touch with you
- It’s a good marketing tool
- It can drive traffic to your website and your firm
- It tells people who you are and what you do
But what does your email signature say about you? InformationWeek.com editor Mitch Wagner did an informal survey of all the messages in his inbox, and drew a few conclusions about what email message signatures say about the sender. Wagner says:
- Important people don’t bother with e-mail sigs.
- The longer your e-mail signature, the lower down the food chain you are.
- Marketing people have company slogans in their e-mail.
- Some people’s signatures are way too long.
I don’t know about #1 and #3, but I’m pretty sure that #2 and #4 hold true. People who create these unruly email signatures with multiple quotes are trying to prove how much they know, how worldy they are, how profound their thoughts run, whatever. But when you’ve got a back-and-forth conversation with multiple email signatures, it gets downright annoying.
Here are my rules for proper email signatures:
- DO put your full name, office address, phone, fax and email address
- DO NOT put the names of your kids, pets, and favorite brand of salty snack
- DO include your website URLs
- DO NOT let us know when the wedding band you head up as a side project will be next performing
- DO NOT advise of your favorite Latin quote
- DO NOT include a million different disclaimers and confidentiality routines – especially when communicating via listservs and user groups that do not include anything remotely close to confidential
- DO NOT try to impress people with how smart or important you are – leave off the accolades
- DO include an email signature at all times
Thanks to Lifehacker for pointing out the study.
Gosh Jay, so simple…yet my signature didn't have ALL my business info in it…but it certainly does now. Thanks so much for the tip!
Gosh Jay, so simple…yet my signature didn’t have ALL my business info in it…but it certainly does now. Thanks so much for the tip!
Thanks for this helpful remider. I definately see the benefit of having an e-mail signature. It is so basic, yet so easily forgotten. When I finally get my domain name, I will go back to this blog to form a proper e mail signature.
Thanks for this helpful remider. I definately see the benefit of having an e-mail signature. It is so basic, yet so easily forgotten. When I finally get my domain name, I will go back to this blog to form a proper e mail signature.
Jay:Do you think a logo in one's signature is a good idea?
Great advice, Jay. I think having some kind of logo or image on an em signature is beneficial as well. What are your thoughts about including links to Twitter, FB fan pages and your LI group?
I agree. I have come to realize that about 90% of my written communications with clients and opposing counsel are done via email and just as letterhead can tell you a lot about a firm, the format in which you send email says much about you and your practice.
I agree. I have come to realize that about 90% of my written communications with clients and opposing counsel are done via email and just as letterhead can tell you a lot about a firm, the format in which you send email says much about you and your practice.
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