5 Things I Want in Your Email Signature

The beauty of the email signature is that it’s versatile. And that’s great. It can show your personality (or lack there of), and it can have colors and font changes, whatever. But here’s the deal, it needs to have 5 things (besides your name/company/title)…

1. Your Email Address – I know what you’re thinking “umm, I’m emailing you so you have it.” TRUE, but often times I will introduce folks via email and I copy and paste from the signature so they have all each others info up front. Another reason, if you are forwarding or adding someone into an email chain they can snag your email easily if needed.
2. Phone Number – YES I need your number. Why? Because sometimes the response needs to be a phone call, and I don’t want to go hunting for it.
3. Social Media– tell me how and where to follow you! Duh, this is an easy way to get more followers, and if I have an introduction to a new person, social media is a GREAT way for me to learn more about you (and vice versa).
4. URL– I need a link to your website folks. Especially if I don’t know much about you, or you reference something on your site, I don’t want to go hunting for it.
5. Mobile Signature – everyone has multiple ways of sending and receiving emails these days. If yours is short and to the point and maybe has a typo, let folks know that it came from your smart phone or tablet. And make it clever and personal to you. Your mobile signature really only needs to say “sent from my mobile device” it doesn’t need all the other stuff. Unless you’re traveling for a while and it’s best for folks to have your phone number too.

I know there are ton of other things you can add to your newsletter but most importantly make sure it’s clean and helpful for folks. I don’t need 5 ways to call you. I don’t need a fax number (I mean, really? Do I?) Your email signature is your digital business card, make sure I get what I need, so I can easily answer you every time.

So this quiet end of August work week, take a moment to review your email signature and make sure it’s representative of you, helpful to your potential clients, current clients and your network.