There’s nothing worse than chugging along in your business and getting an email from someone in the same industry slamming your professionalism because of your email address. Or, being in a live chat group, discussing this or that, when the conversation shifts to call you on the mat about the email service provider you use…and being unprofessional. What?!? Yep, it’s happened, continues to rear its ugly head online, and it baffles me why others feel it’s their place to be so judgmental.
I’ve been in business since 2000 and not once has a customer commented on or decided to not work with me based on my email address. (Yes, I use one of those offending email addresses. I marketed and existed locally long before establishing an online presence.) I can’t recall a colleague ever sharing a story of losing a client because of their email address either. So why do colleagues even care? What gets in their craw about this? How does the offending email address directly affect them? I’ve never subscribed to the thoughts of putting someone down to raise myself higher or show that my ways are better…[insert more professional]. (I use the term colleagues only because we’re in the same industry when I could equally use the word competitors. Yes, I get that virtual assistants are plentiful and typically non-competitive and help each other via forum participation and other resources but the cattiness I see over emails is silly, opinionated, judgmental, and non-productive for either business.) It only serves to weaken relationships instead of strengthening working ties. It feels childish, like saying “Eww, you’re wearing an orange shirt and that’s so uncool that I must point it out to you even though you’ve never asked my opinion.”
From one business to another, I honestly don’t see why others feel it’s their business to make a point out of someone’s email address and trying to connect it to a reflection of professionalism. Professionalism by definition is (1) : characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession (2) : exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace. Hmm, so providing an unsolicited opinion about an individual element in someone’s business demonstrates your courteous good manners? Nah, that can’t be it.
Back when vanity phone numbers were all the rage I recall opinions being high with which vanity was selected and how it was used in marketing. I can’t remember any conversations around Skype IDs, social media account names, or any such customizable names. Are these inferior in comparison? I’ve noticed some not branded to a business and using a fun spin on spelling.
I’ve used email addresses, branded with a company name, only to have the business person reply with their gmail address or a vanity email. Am I offended or do I think less of them. Of course not. That would be like judging someone because their phone number contained 666 in sequential order. Silly when you look at it like this, isn’t it.
An email addy doesn’t define anyone nor reflect the level of their services so it’s time to shift critiques of others’ businesses to things that hold weight and value. Stop clogging up forums and group discussions with things that aren’t adding to your bottom line…or to another person’s bottom line. And please don’t feel it’s your duty to email someone directly (out of the blue) to tell them your personal thoughts about the email they use. It doesn’t give them the warm fuzzies and they probably won’t change how they do business because of your opinion.
Oh, and for those who complain and compare that only old school, non-techie, behind-the-times people use AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, or anything different, I caution you to review the emails found on your own lists. You may be insulting your customers or those you wish to someday welcome as your customers. It’s not uncommon to use a gmail account, for example, solely for newsletters or marketing opt-ins to keep these types of emails on one account and out of someone’s main email. Cuts down on the spam, of course. 😉
I’ll leave you with these thoughts about opinions… “I’m not sure I want popular opinion on my side — I’ve noticed those with the most opinions often have the fewest facts.” -Bethania McKenstry
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius once said, “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”
“It is not advisable, James, to venture unsolicited opinions. You should spare yourself the embarrassing discovery of their exact value to your listener.” – Ayn Rand