sign the darn thing already!

signature

OK, look….it’s a thing with me.

We all have these “things” that irk us. They are small, mundane issues that make us each a little nuts…the things that make your friends say…”what’s your problem?”.

Mine is (well one of mine is) email signatures. Specifically email signatures without key info like phone number (office and cell!) and web site. When I need to contact somebody fast, I often look up their email for their contact info. When it’s not there when I need it, I have a little (internal) hissy fit.

The thing is not all the people with whom I correspond have a spot in my address book. This is mostly due to the fact that I don’t update my contact manager as often as I should.

But just so we’re clear, this post isn’t about what I can do better (my “perfection” is well documented)…it’s about how other people need to make my life easier.

Glad that’s settled.

So here’s the thing, say “Linus*” sends me an email, he would like me to call him and he signs the email just “Linus”.

Uh, “Linus” do you know that MOST email programs have an automatic signature feature wherein you can fill out your complete sig with all your pertinent contact info once and it will appear at the bottom of your email automatically as soon as you open it?

Well, “Linus” now you do. I’m glad we had this little talk.

* I don’t know any Linus although it has, for a long time, been one of my favorite names. However, it has never been one of Mrs. audio’connell’s favorite names, hence in my brood you will find no “Linus”

2 Responses to “sign the darn thing already!”

  1. Peter, this is one of my pet peeves. Makes me crazy to receive an email signed “Joe” or “Mary.”

    Because I work with people all over the world, across a dozen time zones, I really need to know a person’s phone number plus their physical location. (I can look up the area code, but that does not always reveal a true location.)

    At one of my corporate clients, we periodically run notices in the employee newsletter, reminding people to append an email sig — automatically! — but not all do. Even those who work in “communications.” Sigh.

  2. Hi Donna:

    I’m so glad it’s not just me! 🙂

    You’re point about physical location is interesting. From a marketing perspective I don’t know if my physical location benefits my brand or hurts it. Is that a slam on Buffalo, NY? I’m not sure…it’s not meant to be but I know that when client decide in their head that New York means New York City for my location, they perceive me as sometimes having greater worth.

    And sometimes they just think I’m a schmoe no matter where they think I’m from!

    Thanks for visiting.

    Best always,
    – Peter