Most business people start the day by opening up their email program to check and respond to emails. In fact, some statistics suggest that 80% of all Americans use email. Email is used to exchange information, set up meetings, ask questions and in some cases, conduct business negotiations.
A recent article in Reuters.com suggests that using email for business negotiations is not a good idea. There are various reasons, including:
- Email can live forever, especially if it is archived/saved
- Email can be easily forged
- Unless you are using a secure email server, hackers could access your email.
- The BCC feature can allow an email sent to you to be blind-copied to someone else without your knowledge
The article says the following:
At times, it may seem wise to conduct negotiations over email, but it's not necessarily the best idea in the world given the fact that emails are easily forged. You should always conduct your negotiations and discuss contracts in person and take handwritten notes. At the end of the session, you should memorialize what you have discussed and decided upon, having both parties sign the document. It's much easier to prove handwritten documents are false, and it's also much easier to keep statements from coming back and biting you.
We are not advocating giving up email and relying on handwritten documents. However, we do advocate using email and the internet wisely:
- Do not exchange sensitive information over email.
- Print any emails that you have used leading up to a business negotiation and keep in the file
- Never rely on email to reach an agreement other that setting up a time/place to meet
- Verify any information you have received over email with an in-person exchange
- Always remember email is not truly private and act accordingly
What are your tips for email usage? Please share in the comments.