Okay, yesterday I sprung a pop quiz on you… asking for the MOST important part of my email signature. As you think about mine (and see my explanations below), you should be able to figure out the why’s of your own email signature.
I’ve struggled with this for a while… I really want my signature to be shorter… but I can’t figure out what to take out. There are two things going on with each line, even each character, in my email signature. Here’s the signature… we’ll break it down line by line below.
Jason Alba
I like how clean this is. I have an MBA and at least one certification I can think of, but none of that helps you think/know/perceive what I want you to think/know/perceive.
:: https://JibberJobber.com – Organize your Job Search
This is where I want people to go. I want them to know about it. I want them to recommend it. And I especially want them to be able to describe it – perhaps the most important thing in my email signature is the last four words, describing what JibberJobber is/does. It is all about organizing your job search… something like “career management 2.0” would be too cliche/confusing.
:: https://LinkedInForJobSeekers.com – DVD
This is an important product for me, and I want you to have an idea of what it is and how it can help you. Because this product is so easy to monetize (easier than getting a JibberJobber upgrade), this might be the most important part of my email signature…
:: DVD bundle: https://JibberJobber.com/specials
I want people to know that if they are on the fence on an upgrade, they should check out the sales page. I am a sales guy… I always opt for a discounted price, which is what you get here. And I refer to this link in my email signature all the time in regular email correspondence…. therefore, it might be the most important part of my email signature…
This is an EASY way to follow me, learn more about me, evangelize me, etc. I’m fairly active on Twitter, and it seems to be a good way to share stuff… so I want to make it easy for you to communicate with and to me there. For marketing purposes, this just might be the most important line on my email signature…
:: JJ on the mobile: m.JibberJobber.com (AWESOME!)
We just launched this feature but I can see keeping it on my email signature for a long time, since everyone asks for it. Why not proactively let people know it’s available? For product development purposes, this just might be the most important line on my email signature…
Okay, so it was a trick question… I’m not sure what is THE MOST important… they all have their purposes, they are all important, and they all contribute to my branding message.
Thoughts?
You ask for thoughts and mine is the same when you asked for thoughts 30 months ago: https://jasonalba.com/2008/10/01/today-i-tearfully-retire-my-email-signature/
Keep it simple.
Long or short, an email signature should accomplish 3 goals:
1. Establish your brand, credentials and expertise
2. The easier you make it for someone to contact you, the faster they will contact you.
3. Provide a “call to action” so the email reader wants to find out more about how your products or services can help them.
Jason – your signature concisely accomplishes all 3 goals. It’s a good reference template to model for smart professionals to catapult their job search into high gear or entrepreneurs to acquire new clients.
Carl E. Reid, CSI
“Success Synergy thru Intrapreneur Savvy, Human Capital and Tech Strategy”
Author of “Foreword” in Win the Race for 21st Century Jobs
https://CarlEReid.com
https://twitter.com/CarlEReid
https://SavvyIntrapreneur.com
Tel: 201-222-5390
Your name, Id say, is the most important. 😉
My signature changes in context with the conversation. In fact, it’s my personal preference to not even include a sig in replies. That’s like re-stating your full, formal name everytime you see someone you already met.
I also let people know when I am using a mobile (like now) so they can ignore (or laugh at) typos or terse replies.