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Email Marketing Information |
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Use the "Reply All" Function in Email Judiciously
Type "email etiquette" into the search bar of any popular search engine and you'll get over one million hits. Because email is used so broadly, it poses certain problems for the professional who is attempting to communicate well. Any of those over one million hits will tell you the benefits of using email to conduct your business because it is a fast and efficient form of communicating. However, email is often the least preferred method of communicating by many readers. With that in mind, I want to address one of the many options of email-the "Reply All" function. Using this function carefully will help you protect and enhance your professional credibility and prevent you from alienating your readers-especially those who don't like email to begin with. I'm a member of many online groups, and frequently a group's leader will send an email to the entire group giving out information or delivering a point of instruction. Far too frequently, recipients of this group message will respond to the sender by hitting the "Reply All" function. The problem with that is all their "will do," "got it," and "thanks" responses end up in my Inbox becoming clutter I have to sort through and delete. Deliberate Purpose The "Reply All" function should be reserved for when all members of the recipient list need the information being sent. Let me say that again, reserve the "Reply All" for when ALL members need the responder's answer. In how many cases do you need to know that one of the recipients said "okay"? Not often. Instead, in the interest of time, efficiency, and professionalism this type of response should be sent only to the person who generates the original email. You've read in my other articles that poor communication is the Number One problem in business. Hitting "Reply All" as a matter of habit and not as a carefully chosen option is poor communication because it clutters our inboxes with information we don't need. If we consider that every "Reply All" is a piece of paper on our desks, would we want all those responses? Absolutely not. We'd be buried in paper! Certainly, "Reply All" has its uses. In a collaborative project where all members of the team need to be kept apprised of the goings-on of team members, using "Reply All" is the right thing to do. This is especially important if the team works remotely or when members of the team work on opposite shifts or don't see one another frequently. Then using "Reply All" is good communication because it keeps the lines of communication open and moving. But again, I caution judicious use of the "Reply All" function. Real-Life Consequences We have another really good reason to use the "Reply All" function judiciously and that has to do with the functioning of a unit as a team. Using "Reply All" well can increase a team's ability to function by keeping communication open, thereby helping the company reach its goals. However, using "Reply All" can also be used as a weapon and become destructive to a team relationship. Let me tell you a story to help you understand this. I've been working with an organization that has had quite a bit of internal strife for various reasons. In an effort to be more supportive, the president of the organization sent a complimentary email about one staffer's efforts to her entire staff. Nice email. Good job of communicating how staff is making the organization better. This was a responsive, proactive thing to do on the part of the president. Here's what happened next: another of the president's staff members hit "Reply All" and said "Don't forget that Jane did her part, too." To the casual observer this exchange may not seem to be a big deal. But while that message might seem innocuous, it conveys testiness as well. The staffer's reply was designed not only to acknowledge Jane but to "show" the rest of the staff that the president didn't really know what was going on in the organization. The fact that the staffer sent the "Reply All" to acknowledge Jane had a subversive intent, and that was to expose the failings of the president. The president then scrambled to give Jane the proper acknowledgement and sent another message via "Reply All" acknowledging Jane's contribution. The result: the president was put on the defensive in front of her entire staff. Not a good position for a leader to be in. Different Results Could this situation have been handled better? Sure. The staffer should simply have replied, called, or spoken to the president directly to remind her of Jane's efforts. Doing so would have shown respect to the president and allowed the president an opportunity to revise the original message to give Jane proper credit without being put in a defensive position. Using the "Reply All" option may be one of those things people do to make their jobs easier, but they do it without considering the potential negative effects on the organization and workers involved. My advice: be cautious. Use "Reply All" only when all those people in the recipient list need the information you have and when they need it from you. Otherwise, respond only to the initiator of the message and let them do their jobs better. About the Author: Dr. Tracy Peterson Turner works with organizations that want to turn their managers into leaders and with leaders who want to get their messages heard. She is an expert in both written and verbal communication and conducts presentations and workshops to help individuals and corporations meet their communication goals. Visit Tracy on the web at http://www.Mgr-Impact.com. Email her at Tracy@Mgr-Impact.com
MORE RESOURCES: Mastering B2B Email Marketing in 2025: Unlocking the Keys for Sustainable Growth and Engagement Block Telegraph Email Marketing- Helping Brands Thrive In Crisis BW Marketing World Content and Messaging Strategies for Long-Lifespan Products MarketingProfs.com Email Marketing Personalization: How to Make Every Email Count North Forty News Bento Elevates Ecommerce Email Marketing Practical Ecommerce Email Marketing Developments in 2024 and Their Ripple Effects in 2025 MarketingProfs.com 22 Email Marketing Platforms to Know Built In Industry KPIs: Email marketing metrics improved in most recent data—with a cautionary note eMarketer A Quarter of Global Consumers Unsubscribe from Emails Weekly – How SMBs Can Boost Email Marketing Strategies Business Wire Don't Sleep on Email Marketing — Here's Why It's Still Your Business's Most Powerful Tool Entrepreneur Email Design Trends for 2025 Designmodo 9 Email Marketing Best Practices in 2025 Metricool Email Marketing Friday Forum MarketingProfs.com Best Email Marketing Tool (2025): Klaviyo Recognized as Top Email Marketing Service by Consumer365 GlobeNewswire Predictive Analytics Methods to Improve Email Marketing Spiceworks News and Insights Email Marketing Friday Forum MarketingProfs.com Five Ways to Unleash the Power of AI in B2B Email Marketing MarketingProfs.com Top 10 Best Email Marketing Services Software Platforms for 2020 Spiceworks News and Insights Shoppers Who Buy Via Email Spend 138% More Than Those Who Don't. Here Are 9 Email Hacks to Capture Their Sales Entrepreneur Email Promotions Tab Hysteria Is Back! (Thanks, Apple) MarketingProfs.com How To Start a Newsletter To Earn Subscribers Taboola.com Top 41 B2B Email Marketing Statistics You Need to Know in 2025 Influencer Marketing Hub Top 5 Email Marketing Tips for Driving Revenue in 2025 The Source Magazine The Realtor’s Guide to Email Marketing NeilPatel.com Google Announces Gmail Dynamic Email: Impact on Email Marketing Spiceworks News and Insights Striking The Balance Between Mass Campaigns & Tailored Outreach For Email Marketing Demand Gen Report Email Marketing Friday Forum MarketingProfs.com Why is DMARC Important? [2025 Updated] Security Boulevard 5 Best Email Marketing Companies in 2025 UI The Daily Iowan The future of email marketing lies in AI Fast Company 5 Tools for a Successful Email Newsletter Re-Engagement Campaign National Shooting Sports Foundation |
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