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Your Signature is You Online
by
Jeanette S. Cates, Ph.D.
The Technology Tamer™
At some time in your life you practiced your signature. It may have
been in third grade, right after you learned to write in cursive.
It may have been in junior high when you were preparing for the
autograph party. Or it may have been when you prepared to sign your
first check. You recognized the importance of your signature - because
it says a lot about you. It represents you to the world when all
they can see is your name.
An electronic signature serves the same purpose. Your signature
is the file that you append at the end of your email messages. It
tells people about you and makes it easy to contact you in other
ways. It's an electronic advertisement for you and your business.
Yet many people fail to append this signature, leaving the recipients
clueless on how to contact them.
Before going further, let's talk about what a signature file is
not. It is not the same as a digital signature. A digital
signature is a legal "stamp" equivalent to your written
signature in authority and binding agreements. It is encoded into
your message or document. A digital signature must be applied for
and paid for through a specific authorizing agent. As opposed to
a digital signature, the signature file we are discussing is a text
file that you create and modify as needed. It is stored on your
hard drive and carries no formal authority.
Let's look at what goes into a good signature file.
- Include your full name. Often you want to sign your email more
casually with just your first name or with no name at all. The
signature file should have your full name so that others know
how to address you. If appropriate, include your company name
and job title as well.
- Your email address. The recipient may want to print your message
for later reference. If so, having your email address close to
your name makes it easier to get back to you.
- Your snail mail address. Occasionally a response needs to be
greater than that which fits into an email message. So make it
easy for them to send you documents and other materials. This
also saves you having to type this information each time you request
something be sent to you. This should include both the street
address and your city, state, and zip.
- Your telephone number. Although email proponents prefer using
the asynchronous mode, sometimes a phone call is the easiest,
fastest means to an end.
- Your web site. I am often asked how to advertise your web site.
Including it in your signature file is one of the most effective
ways. Each time you send email, it's advertising your web site.
When you contribute to online discussion groups, everyone reading
that message hears about your web site. Your signature file is
quietly advertising for you.
- A slogan, tag line, or favorite quote. This is an optional inclusion
in the signature file. Particularly if your company name does
not convey the type of business you are in, include your tag line.
Keep it short so that it doesn't add substantially to the message
length.
What do you need to know "technically" about signature
files?
- Typically the signature file is a separate file stored on your
hard drive. Many email programs let you create the file in the
program. If your program does not provide this option, create
your signature file as a text file and store it in the same directory
as your email program.
- Generally, there is a checkbox in your email program to say
that you want to include your signature file in your email messages.
If you can, set the preferences for the program to automatically
include the signature file, unless you turn it off.
- Because the signature file is a text file, you cannot use tabs
and other formatting. It must be all text, with the spacebar used
for creating the layout.
- I prefer a "flat and wide" layout, rather than successive
lines of information. This keeps the overall length of the message
shorter and requires less scrolling. It does require more creativity
on your part to be sure everything is visible and looks neat.
Keep in mind that many email windows are narrow, so restrict the
width to 80 characters. Keep your file to 6 lines or less.
- Test your file. Send yourself a message with the signature file
appended. Get feedback from your friends. Keep revising your file
until you think it is "you". (Remember that practice
you did with your written signature?)
Don't take a chance in someone not being able to contact you easily.
Your image and your business depend on it. Remember, your signature
is you.
Comments and suggestions (and your trial signature file) can be
sent to the author:
| Jeanette
S. Cates, Ph.D. |
cates@techtamers.com |
| Technology
Implementation Expert |
(512) 219-5653;
fax (512) 219-5654 |
| 10502
Hardrock |
Austin, TX 78750-2034 |
About the Author
Dr. Jeanette S. Cates,
Jeanette S. Cates, PhD. is Founder and CEO of TechTamers, an Austin-based
technology implementation firm that works with companies who want
to use their technology more profitably and with professionals who
want to reduce their technology learning curve.
© 1999 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print
or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and
contact information is provided to www.TechTamers.com.
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