The Internet. You can’t live with it? You can no longer live without it! Millions of searches and electronic mail messages are undertaken on the Internet each day. E-mail is quickly taking the place of regular, or, 'snail mail', and increasingly fax and voice mail too.

The Internet is up 24 hours a day, allowing instant access to your brochure and property information even whilst you are sleeping. E-mail works just like regular mail, but is more immediate, and can be simultaneously sent to many people. It takes only seconds to reach its destination, whether this is just across town, or across the world.

Envelopes, stamps, and visits to the post office are not required when sending e-mail. However, as both the Internet and e-mail rely on the written word, many standard letter-writing rules still apply. Grammar and spelling are important considerations.

Interpretation

Immediacy and cost efficiency mean that e-mail can be like having an ongoing, interactive conversation. However, recipients cannot see your facial expressions, gestures, or hear your tone of voice. So, what you write, and what you receive in response, are open to wide interpretation.

Permanency

The Internet and e-mail are permanent records. Once someone has downloaded a page, or your e-mail has been sent, it cannot be retrieved. Even when you delete it, it still exists in network files.

International

The Internet is global. Messages you send may end up being read all over the world, from Antarctica to Zimbabwe.

Work out where your electronic communication may be going wrong, and how you can make it right:

Things NOT TO DO when using the Internet.

Use a signature file so that receivers can identify who you are, if you have a link to your web site, type the http:// so people can access it with just one click – for example, include the name of your property, your phone, fax and mobile numbers.

Check your spelling and grammar before you hit 'send'. Keep your spelling checker permanently on.

Check whom you are sending e-mail to, as electronic address books make it easy to misdirect mail.

Use virus protection software when sending or opening attachments. Viruses can easily be inadvertently spread to family, friends, and customers.

If you are unable to access your e-mail regularly, perhaps specify that telephone or fax contact will get a quicker response, in your booking forms, or on your website.

Let the sender know if you receive e-mail not intended for you, so they can redirect it to the correct address.

Read your mail regularly, and reply promptly – replies within 24 to 48 hours.

Reply to original messages, or quote relevant parts of the message, so that the context is kept intact.

Shut off your CAPS LOCK and use black type with at least 9-point size. This will make your e-mail easy to read.

Keep sentences short and use bullet points where possible. This breaks up the page so that people do not have to read wall to wall text.

When sending e-mail to a large number of people, protect your recipients by hiding their addresses in the bcc (blind carbon copy), instead of cc (carbon copy) list.

Use e-mail for leaving detailed messages and for keeping in touch. E-mail is non-intrusive, so people can read and attend to it at their leisure.

Make hard copies of important mail. Store these along with your other printed files.

Use the subject heading to indicate what your mail is about. This makes it easier for receivers to keep track of their mail. Each e-mail should be limited to one subject.

The 7 Golden Rules