How Not to End your Emails

I wish I’d learned this sooner. Eventually I discovered that the more you treat customers like smart adults, the more receptive they’ll be to your expertise. Early in my career I used to finish my correspondence with phrases like, “If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call…” Today, as a customer myself, I still receive emails that end with that phrase. Customers who have questions know they can ask. The offer to accept their questions is not only clichéd – which sounds like we’re not really thinking about what we’re writing – it’s also condescending. Like the customer is too timid or too ignorant to ask questions. As I point out in my Trusted Advisor presentations, every phrase you share either builds or diminishes trust. Next time you write to your customer, you can avoid the unintended insult and invite a response by simply finishing with, “Your thoughts?”