The Importance Of Email - One Man's Perspective

We're pretty high tech savvy, though these new cell phones with text messaging, Internet access, MP3, and picture taking ability have features we don't need or want. Now while we don't need them, I can see how a lot of folks could use them. Technology marches on.

When I was a kid in Omaha, the comic section of the World Herald had Dick Tracy as it's #1 cartoon. Dick was way ahead of the curve when it came to high tech. His two-way wrist radio, later to be a wrist worn TV phone is almost a reality over 40 years later with the new miniature IPod, Razr, IPhone, or whatever the actual names are of these miniature devices. Now I admit Dick may not have been from Earth...his girlfriend was the Moon Maid if I remember right, but today high tech communication is part of daily life for most of us. The science fiction of only a short time ago is now reality.

So what's our point?

If you care, most of us city folk have become pretty dependent on high tech. We'd have a hard time getting by without the Internet because we use it as a library to the world. Personally, email is our #1 source of communication, but from our limited experience using email in Nebraska, many folks are slow checking their electronic mailbox or don't at all. Makes me wonder why you would advertise an email address and then not check it regularly. You would be better served providing only a phone number, if you ignore email, we figure you don't want our business.

You might wonder how we find email addresses in rural areas. You may not be aware that your town has a web site with business listings, but I am. I know how to use the Internet as a search tool for finding out information about just about anything, including rather obscure information such as the depth of your town wells. (Cambridge I discovered has 2 wells 65 feet deep for example).

Now I know if you never get emails, or all you get seems to be junk mail, it's easy to forget to check your electronic mailbox. But if you are in business and don't constantly check your email, you WILL lose out on business, and competition that does answer their email may run you out of town in the long run.

Consider this...Our experience in Nebraska so far is that, state run offices do a good job of replying to email, churches are the worst, and MOST (not all) companies we've written have provided slow or no response at all!

Mr. business man and community members, if you don't want business from outside your community, one little way to help is ignore your email or don't answer it in a timely manner. It may seem like a small thing, but if you choose this route, your prospective customers may go somewhere else for products and services...we did.