What shape and size is your email signature?

How often do you get an email without a signature and therefore have to dig through past emails or notes to locate that person's phone number or other contact information? This may seem like a minor thing, but to me a complete signature adds a level of completeness and professionalism to the email.

Email signatures come in all shapes and sizes - those that are non-existent, those with a name and title, those with a name, title and phone number, those with a quote, etc - the list can go on and on.

I just read this post about a very unique email signature - a 'customer service' signature - in which the blog author received an email with the following signature:

How’s My Driving?
Did this answer appropriately address your question(s)?
If Yes; send an email to this address:  salesteam701@booksurge.com
1 – Excellent – (explanation optional)         
If No; send an email to this address:   salesteam702@booksurge.com
2 – Unsatisfactory (please explain)

Like the author, I found this to be a really fresh and fun idea. It is an excellent way to proactively ask for feedback; you discover what you are doing well and are also able to immediately address any customer complaints. A signature like this exemplifies that the company has a clear interest in knowing what their customers have to say, and it provides a very easy way for their customers to reach them.

This 'customer service' signature is not a fit for everyone, but I find it interesting to think about what message you are sending with the shape and size of your email signature.

Kristen Langham
Marketing Manager
Palo Alto Software

Comments

[Chris Bonney]

Kristen-
I like your post. Seems to be a hot topic lately. I was seeing so many blog posts about email signatures that I posted on it myself.

http://chrisbonney.typepad.com/chris_bonney/2008/02/top-11-list-wha.html

Always nice to see another blogger carrying the same flame. Keep up the good work.

[Matthew Scott]

Kristen,

Like you, I believe our email signature is an often overlooked revenue or information seeking opportunity.

About six months ago, I decided to grow bold from lame signature to Call-to-Action.

If you received an email from me it would contain the following P.S. addition with a link to my men@pause seminars website:

P.S. Want instant access to my men@pause tele-seminars and workshops where I equip you for professional success and personal significance before you too dead to regret...? Join me now!

It has really been successful. I change it up every other month or so depending on where I want to drive people.

Great post.

Matthew
Google men@pause

[Chelle Parmele]

Matthew,

The first time I saw your sig line that said, "I want you to help me write my book!" I had to stop and really think about it. "But he hardly knows me!!"

It gave me a good chuckle once I'd figured it out. ;)

'Chelle

[Kristen Langham]

Great comments - it's interesting that email signatures can be such a hot topic. A signature seems like such a small and simple part of an email; but the content (or lack there of) can certainly convey a very clear message.

Chris, I like your top 11 list of what it takes to have a great signature, and I wish more people would follow #1 - "Don't say too little". However, it is interesting that #2 and #3 seem to counter what Matthew includes in his signature; and that he has found success with this.

Thanks for the comments - it's great to hear that others find this seemingly simple topic interesting as well!

[Barry Moltz]

Thanks for the mention of my post on email signatures. I thought this signature from Booksurge really gave me more confidence in their customer service. I have been researching customer service as a topic for tmy third book.