Philippa Gamse, who works in
Britain and the US advising businesses and voluntary organisations on
use of the Internet, finds she needs to remind both newcomers and
existing users there is more to it than the World Wide Web. This
article was written in 1997.
E-mail can be an incredibly effective
communication tool. It is usually available at the cost of a local
phone call. It can reach anyone in the world with an Internet e-mail
address for this minimal cost. So using e-mail in preference to the
phone or fax can significantly reduce expenses, particularly on
long-distance or international rates.
E-mail is also useful in a local setting. The statistical chances of
reaching someone directly during the working day are estimated at
less than 20%. However, e-mail can be sent and received at any time
of the day (or night!), and so becomes an effective and non-obtrusive
way to contact colleagues and customers.
I frequently suggest to my clients
that they start to record e-mail addresses for their customers as
readily as they do their phone and fax numbers. It costs essentially
the same (i.e. almost nothing) to send a message to one, or to many
people. Thus, e-mail can be a great way to distribute announcements,
newsletters, or other regularly mailed pieces. And, since e-mail is
pretty basic in its looks, typesetting can be minimal in effort,
while printing and postage costs will be zero!
E-mail can also be a great tool for running long-distance meetings
that have traditionally been conducted using expensive telephone
calls. Although I do not suggest that e-mail totally replace these
interactions, significant time and cost can be saved if reading
material (such as reports, papers, previous minutes, etc.) are sent
electronically ahead of time. This gives participants an opportunity
to review them, and then make better use of the meeting time to
discuss action points and make necessary decisions.
Sending files via e-mail can have applications in many settings. Artwork can be sent from graphic designers to printers, without regard for physical location. I heard of a recent case where significant changes were made to an organisation's brochure just before a major exhibition. This event took place in a distant city, and it would have been impossible to reprint and ship the materials from the home base in time. However, the copy was sent via the Internet to a printer at the exhibition location, the new brochures were delivered to the exhibition centre, and no shipping costs were incurred!
Electronic mailing lists and Usenet
newsgroups exist to discuss just about every conceivable subject (and
some that most of us wouldn't want to conceive of!) Although
effective participation in these can require a serious investment of
regular time, there are real potential benefits for the business
person.
When participating in these lists, make sure that you have a
signature file. This consists of a few lines containing your name,
organisation, and contact details, including your Web site if you
have one. You can set your e-mail or newsgroup reader to include the
signature at the end of every e-mail or posting that you write. This
inclusion gives you enhanced visibility within the group -- it is
said to take 27 instances of seeing a name to achieve instant
recognition, so every repetition helps!
The participants in these discussions
also represent a pool of expertise that can be very useful. Anyone
who has recently bought hardware from a store, or a new software
product, knows that it can be increasingly difficult and expensive to
reach the vendor's technical support team. However, posing the
problem to the appropriate newsgroup can bring many qualified, and
free responses.
Of course, I do not mean to suggest that all advice or opinions
gleaned in this way should be treated as gospel. The same caveats
should be used as in any other situation of reading, or hearing
information if you are unsure of the reliability of the source.
www.partnerships.org.uk/articles/beyond1.html