A.O.B.
And don’t forget the date
Published: 17 February 2010
I recently received a fairly standard “thank you for your input, we really value it,” note, but gratifying all the same. A small dose of courtesy is no bad thing, especially in today’s tough trading environment. Doing business is about forging relationships and politeness is an undervalued commodity that can win you friends.
What stood out on this e-mail, though, lay at the foot of the page. The organisation in question had added the dates of a couple of trade shows where it would be in attendance. Such self-advertising is a neat idea that costs nothing. The only problem in this instance was that the trade show dates were in November 2009 and the e-mail was sent in late January 2010, making the organisation look amateurish and out of touch.
So kudos to the person who thought of appending the dates in the first instance, but nuls points for failing to ensure they were taken off once the trade shows had passed. The lesson is keep on top of communications, both internal and external, because any information you distribute must be current if it is to create a positive impression.
Tim Clifford is an associate of The Governance Partnership.