Be Polite

Sometimes, we are too straight forward with people. We express our opinion without thinking how our words affect other people. Once, I sent out a marketing e-mail. Some people responded to me saying that they would contact me if necessary and others asked me not to bother them anymore. One woman wrote me that I should correct my English before sending a marketing e-mail. This was the error I made: "....If yes, please contact us." She corrected me: "...If so, please contact us". I responded thanking her for pointing out my mistake and letting her know that English was not my first language. No doubt, her correction was very helpful and I will never make the same mistake again. But... I found her choice of words being too hard. It is OK to point out someones mistake but be careful when expressing it. Actually, after I received her e-mail, I thought that I didn't want to contact her if a need for her services arose. What did I learned from this experience? OK, before e-mailing your marketing letter, make sure there are no errors. I also learned that when criticising someone, don't be negative, and do not underestimate that person. It may hurt you or your business in the future. It is fascinating that being polite will never go out of fashion.