There are no hard and fast rules on how to conduct yourself over email. Try to use the same etiquette you’d use when talking to a potential resident when they step into your office in person, and you have a pretty good base on how to write. By conducting yourself professionally and respectfully, you’ll be showing potential residents that you value their time, concerns, and livelihoods, which goes a long way in the housing field. By writing emails with good etiquette, you could even see an increase in the leases at your property. Here are a few more tips to help you form your written voice.
Have you ever received an email from a coworker, outside business, or even a family member that was short and uninformative? Did it come off as being rude or impatient? Email is a great way to be able to communicate in just a few moments with whoever you need to contact, but it’s important not to be lazy with your writing. Make sure you use complete sentences with correct grammar. People like to feel like their specific needs are being catered to, so taking another minute or so to personalize the email and check any short or incomplete sentences goes a long way.
Checking your spelling is a must for improving your etiquette. Emails riddled with typos can make you seem unprofessional, and by extension, make your property seem untrustworthy. Many typos can make an email hard to read and understand, and if your potential resident doesn’t understand what you mean, it can cause all sorts of problems. Spell check is built into most smartphones, tablets, and computers these days, so take an extra moment to scan your email for any typos before hitting send.
If you received an email that you won’t be able to address until tomorrow, try to reply to let the sender know you got it and will get back to them when you can. This will ensure your potential client isn’t left hanging, and they’ll appreciate the confirmation that the time they spent to write the email didn’t go to waste. When you don’t let them know that it may take you a while to respond, they may feel like you’re blowing them off or intentionally ignoring their questions. Again, if a resident feels respected by your practices, they know they’ll be well taken care of when they move in.
Be sure to only address one subject per email. Cluttering up an email with many different topics can be cause for confusion and some topics may even be forgotten about completely. Keeping to one subject per email can help you and your recipients stay organized and aware of all information.
Respect in any form goes a long way. When you communicate predominantly through email, you’ll need to make sure that your emails sound professional and kind. Consistently using email etiquette will reinforce to your residents that your property is a place where they will feel listened to and accepted. Representing your property politely through email can really make or break a new lease for many people, so mind your Ps and Qs!