s an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.

Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that“Manners are made up of trivialities of deportment
which can be easily learned if one does not happen to know them;”
-Emily Post

While Ms. Post’s advice about the appropriate dress for a butler in a well-appointed house and the rules of conduct for a d?butante are hopelessly outdated, good manners still count. Without a doubt, email is an efficient and cost-effective way to build and maintain relationships, whether with your organization’s supporters or with your own nearest and dearest. But those relationships will be stronger and healthier if you heed the do's and don’ts of polite email society – they’re simple and apply in equal measure to both groups.

• Out of inbox, out of mind? Gaps in communication for prolonged periods are a sure way to let a relationship fizzle out. Email lists that have been left idle for extended periods of time tend to have lower response rates (I don’t recommend testing this!). Unless you are actually trying to ditch a wearisome ex, it's best to maintain regular contact with your supporters, just as you would with friends or family, even if that requires some creativity and legwork when the content is not abundant. But be sure to maintain integrity – always instill your messages with some value because...
  
  
• …no one likes a town crier. Do you know someone who forwards emails indiscriminately? Be it a CNN news alert (that you receive yourself, thank you very much), a chain letter promising good fortune to those who pass it on to seven spirited women, or a cartoon featuring singing Matzo Men, these e-town criers want to be the first to spread the news.
  
  
  
• Keep it simple. It is important to keep your messages simple and clear. No legalese, no insider jargon, no buzzwords, and no policy wonk language, please! Words like “churlishness” and “pernicious” belong on GMAT study guide, not in email communications. No one wants to read an email about "H.R. 4526 bill to extend the discretionary spending limits through fiscal year 2011, referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned." Rule of thumb - write the email to your supporters as if you were writing it to your mom.
  
  
• Sometimes email isn’t enough. Email is an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.
  
  Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that
  What to Do When Your Boss Talks Too Much
  What do you do if your boss takes up your time talking about other people in the office? You may dislike hearing gossip, and you want to complete the work on your desk.Here are some possibilities.1) Defer the conversation. Say, "I'd really like to hear what you have to say, and I'm working on this project. How about if we talk later during lunch?" This often works, especially if you boss is seeking a distraction during a work break.2) Coach your boss. Say, "When you stop by to talk, that keeps me from working. As a result, I have to take work home and put in extra hours. An
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  • Out of inbox, out of mind? Gaps in communication for prolonged periods are a sure way to let a relationship fizzle out. Email lists that have been left idle for extended periods of time tend to have lower response rates (I don’t recommend testing this!). Unless you are actually trying to ditch a wearisome ex, it's best to maintain regular contact with your supporters, just as you would with friends or family, even if that requires some creativity and legwork when the content is not abundant. But be sure to maintain integrity – always instill your messages with some value because...
    
    
  • …no one likes a town crier. Do you know someone who forwards emails indiscriminately? Be it a CNN news alert (that you receive yourself, thank you very much), a chain letter promising good fortune to those who pass it on to seven spirited women, or a cartoon featuring singing Matzo Men, these e-town criers want to be the first to spread the news.
    
    
    
  • Keep it simple. It is important to keep your messages simple and clear. No legalese, no insider jargon, no buzzwords, and no policy wonk language, please! Words like “churlishness” and “pernicious” belong on GMAT study guide, not in email communications. No one wants to read an email about "H.R. 4526 bill to extend the discretionary spending limits through fiscal year 2011, referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned." Rule of thumb - write the email to your supporters as if you were writing it to your mom.
    
    
  • Sometimes email isn’t enough. Email is an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.
    
    Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that
    A Different View on Pricing - From a South African Perspective
    A business researching and developing a new product normally designs it first and the estimates the cost to determine the final price. If the cost - and the resulting price - are too high, the product will go back to the drawing board for more revisions, delaying the introduction of the new product.The Japanese approach is to start with a target cost based on the price that consumers are most likely to accept; then the designers and manufacturers engineer the product to meet that target. The Japanese system focuses on pinning down the key cost elements of the product in the planning and
    someone who forwards emails indiscriminately? Be it a CNN news alert (that you receive yourself, thank you very much), a chain letter promising good fortune to those who pass it on to seven spirited women, or a cartoon featuring singing Matzo Men, these e-town criers want to be the first to spread the news.
    
    
    
  • Keep it simple. It is important to keep your messages simple and clear. No legalese, no insider jargon, no buzzwords, and no policy wonk language, please! Words like “churlishness” and “pernicious” belong on GMAT study guide, not in email communications. No one wants to read an email about "H.R. 4526 bill to extend the discretionary spending limits through fiscal year 2011, referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned." Rule of thumb - write the email to your supporters as if you were writing it to your mom.
    
    
  • Sometimes email isn’t enough. Email is an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.
    
    Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that
    Entrepreneurs – Do You Really Need A Marketing Strategy?
    Do you have Marketing Strategy? Do you, like many other entrepreneurs think that you don’t need one? Or do you just not know how to write your own Marketing Strategy? No surprises that a Marketing Strategy is a key part of your business strategy. So how do you write your own Marketing Strategy?Marketing is the lifeblood of your business – without marketing, people won’t know where you are and what you are selling. Isn’t that important enough to need a strategy? After all without a good Marketing Strategy, how will you now what to do, when to do it and what basic information you need?
    to keep your messages simple and clear. No legalese, no insider jargon, no buzzwords, and no policy wonk language, please! Words like “churlishness” and “pernicious” belong on GMAT study guide, not in email communications. No one wants to read an email about "H.R. 4526 bill to extend the discretionary spending limits through fiscal year 2011, referred to the Committee on the Budget, and in addition to the Committee on Rules for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned." Rule of thumb - write the email to your supporters as if you were writing it to your mom.
    
    
  • Sometimes email isn’t enough. Email is an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.
    
    Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that
    How to Get Started With Poker Affiliate Programs
    Welcome to the world of poker affiliate programs, an online home based business that can generate massive ongoing residual income with little or no startup costs. Getting started as an online poker affiliate is not hard, you simply need to know the important steps to take. Here are the first things that you'll need to do to get on the right track.1. Get a Domain Name - Register a .com domain name that you would like to begin promoting poker from. It should be keyword rich and memorable. Use a reputable company like Godaddy.2. Get Solid Webhosting - Webhosting can make or break a b
    s an excellent medium to maintain contact with college buddies scattered across the country, busy board members, in-laws, and online advocates. But even the most vivid and eloquent email communications are not a substitute for an old-fashioned phone call or (gasp) in-person meeting.
    
    Look for opportunities to connect with online supporters. Invite your e-advocates to attend a press conference or volunteer at an event. They will appreciate being asked, even if they cannot make it, and those who do show up will be that much more committed to your cause. To ensure a better turnout, ask for RSVPs, thank the signups, and send them a reminder message. Lastly, make sure that it is easy for participants to get to the location (don’t you just love it when your friends include a Google
    Map link?).
    
    
  • Who manages your inbox? If you're in charge of your organization's online program, I hope you have an answer ready. You work very hard to cultivate a personal relationship with supporters and donors, so don’t jeopardize it by ignoring their emails to you. If you never respond to that cousin of yours (or it takes you weeks to do so), you might not get a holiday card this year. The same applies to your donors and activists. It's like that sign hanging in your dentist's office says, "Ignore your teeth and they'll go away.”
    
    
  • Mind your manners. Mom taught you right. Being polite is not about snootiness - it is about respecting others. Whether a donor contributes to your cause or a friend invites you to a happy hour, say "thank you". If you have to bombard your list members with a higher than usual volume of email messages, it's best to acknowledge the flood of communications, explain why you're sending so many right now, ask them to have patience with you, and thank them for their support. And if you are over the age of 16, please use proper grammar and capitalization, don’t spell words phonetically, and don’t abuse the abbreviations, KWIM?