How to Be Professional: Emails
Something I've noticed a lot is that many people, whether my age or much older, still don't know how to be professional.
If you have a million followers and you don't know how to write a proper email, it says a lot about you, your credibility and how much you care versus someone with ten followers who goes above and beyond in their responses.
Emailing on a professional level makes for clearer communication, stronger relationships and can lead to even more opportunities or companies wanting to collaborate for a second time.
1.) Timing is everything.
Being prompt to anything, class or work, makes a huge impression on your employers, etc. Emails are no different. They should be answered within 72 hours or less (the sooner the better).
No one likes waiting on others. Ever text someone you like and get super anxious over the fact that they haven't responded in five hours? It's the same thing with companies.
The relationships you have with them should be of equal importance as with those in your life.
2.) Greetings
If it's not addressed to your name or username or your name is misspelled, it's not professional. I shows how much a company has done their research, care about you or really want to work with you and could just be a copy and paste.
The same goes for you when addressing a company:
Never email a company by addressing the company's name. See if you can find a person to address in their site or email signature.
If you absolutely can't find a name, only then use the company's name. You want it to be as personal as possible.
Don't overthink the greeting when responding!
Hello, hi, and hey are all acceptable.
Never ever write 'To whom this may concern'.
3. Timeliness is everything.
The same way punctuality is important when going to class or work, emails are too. Answer within 48-72 hours is ideal but the sooner, the better!
It's customer service. Simple as that.
Remember those days when you would get anxious after not hearing back from your crush after five hours? It's the same thing, if not similar. Emails are a basis to developing a relationship with these companies so give it the attention it deserves.
4. Body
The body of the email should contain what a company wants, who they are, and their product (or anything along the lines of that.)
Feel free to ask for more details and understand the scope of the agreement before confirming on a collaboration. Don't forget to do your research! Check any links in the email to ensure a company's legitimacy and see if it's the right fit for your brand. Read their About Me and Mission Statements first.
Don't just say yes because you want product. Again, that's not the point of fashion blogging.
Say yes because you feel that your values are in tune with theirs.
5. Signature
When signing off, pay attention to who you will be addressing in your response.
Look at their links too. Your signature should include your full name, links to social media and links to your most popular articles. This will drive more traffic to your blog again and will show companies your voice as well as audience response.
Think of it as a preview of your work.
Being professional goes a long way and it's more than just being professional through your blog. It has to cover all your bases. It makes a strong impression, you gain more respect and strengthens your reputation as well as relationships with companies.
People will remember that and will reach out to you again maybe from a new company if not, the previous one. Being professional will take you so much further in life than you actually think, even in situations where you don't think it's necessary.
Trust me. It is.
Dress via Sheinside
Photography by Justin Quebral