Activity

USS Biz Trek Activity #9: You've Got Mail

In the business world today, not having e-mail is like trying to fight virobugs without a bugzapper. Most businesspeople communicate with each other through e-mail, so not having an account places you far behind your competition — if your clients don’t have easy access to you, they might as well not have access to you at all!

Before you race to set up an account, though, you’ll need to think of an address. Remember, you need to act like the professional you are, and your address will say a lot about you. Do you really want to tell clients your e-mail address is blondechick@youngbiz.com? Or stinkycheeseman@youngbiz.com? Of course not! Try to stick with simple things, like your first initial and last name, your first name, or the name of your business.

To get started with your account, click the E-Mail Login tab above. See it? It’s just below the animated YoungBiz Camps banner. Skim the terms of agreement on the next page — make sure you agree with everything — before clicking the Continue button. The next page you’ll see is the registration form, which you have to fill out before getting an account. Be sure to read the small type! When you’re finished, click the Register button.

You’re all set! Every time you come back to YoungBiz.com, you can log right in to your account. Remember to print your e-mail address on your business cards and tell all of your clients your address.

Try writing one of your fellow trekkers a professional e-mail asking them for price quotes on their products. That means no slang, no swearing, and make sure it’s straight to the point. Check each other’s messages for anything not businesslike, correct them, and send them back to each other. After some practice, you’ll be able to write better e-mails than a Microsoft executive!

Finished?

Rocket back to Lesson 3

Rocket forward to Lesson 4