E-mail and Domains: The New Business Cards
By Manny Tau, PsyD
E-mail has become the primary means of non-verbal communication in the United States as millions of e-
mails traverse wired and wireless paths each day. It has become not just a common practice, but now an
expectation to have one's e-mail address on his or her business card. E-mail has developed into its own
language and protocol, significantly deviating away from the protocols of the traditional letter.
E-mails often have signatures, the contact information that is automatically added to the end of each
message. This is very powerful. It is like having your business card in someone's face with every e-mail
correspondence, especially if you have a website that is easily accessed by the recipient clicking on the
URL (website address).
An e-mail address and the format of an e-mail message are like a business card regarding impression
management. The following are some thoughts for your consideration when using e-mail technologies in
your professional correspondences.
Avoid using a proprietary e-mail account.
Proprietary online services (e.g., AOL) are not the Internet. They offer many features available only
through their service like Instant Messaging, as well as a portal (gateway) to the Internet. This is where
many problems start. Each uses a proprietary e-mail protocol that is problematic with its handshake onto
the Internet. They are notorious for lost e-mails and difficulties with e-mail attachments, such as a MS
Word document or a graphic file, and are common targets for hackers. They are also viewed as personal
services, which is why it is rare to see businesses and corporations with proprietary e-mail accounts. It is
like handing out flimsy and perforated-edged business cards that you printed yourself.
Use plain text in your e-mails, avoid using HTML
HTML is Hypertext Markup Language, the code underlying all web pages. E-mails using HTML can have
custom features like formatting, variable fonts and embedded gr