Best Practices for Communicating with Contacts

Before you create a mass email message or letter, be sure you have thought about your contacts - is this something they really want to know, or just something you want to tell them? Is this information best presented in email form, or would a more formal letter be more appropriate?

Choose your recipients carefully - sending everything to everybody can fatigue the relationship.

Be sure you have entered full mailing addresses for all contacts to whom you want to send letters, and email addresses for those you want to include in email communications.

For letters

·       Compose your letter with your reader in mind. Keep your message short and to the point.

·       Be sure to preview the letter before printing it.

·       If your letter is likely to be sent again (for example, a yearly invitation to a golf tournament), consider saving it as a template. You can then re-use it again and again. For more information, see Using Letter Templates.

For emails

·       Compose your email with your reader in mind. Keep your message short and to the point.

·       Develop an effective subject line, something that will grab your reader's attention and make them want to open the message.

·       Send the email to yourself first to preview it. Be sure everything looks perfect before sending the message to your contacts.

·       If your message is likely to be sent again (for example, a notice about an open house), consider saving it as a template. You can then re-use it again and again. For more information, see Using Email Templates.