Effective e-mail communications don't just happen. They require some thought about the audience, the purpose of the message, and what the message should include to accomplish that purpose.

Here is a short list of steps and tips for writing clear, unambiguous e-mail messages that will not be misunderstood -- and that will help you get the results you want.

1. Plan. Know your purpose. Are you making a complaint or answering one? Are you trying to stimulate trials of a product? Are you providing some facts and figures in response to an inquiry?

2. Plan. Know your audience. The amount of background information or detail you provide should be appropriate for the recipient. Be sure each recipient has sufficient information to do what you want him or her to do. Too much information, on the other hand, will bore some readers. Worse, telling someone a lot of information that they already know can be interpreted as being condescending. Also, knowing your audience will help you use an appropriate tone or level of formality. Do the buyers of your products or services tend to be rather formal? Do you know them on a first-name basis? The rule of thumb here is: when in doubt, follow the same business correspondence style that you would use for a letter.

3. Use short sentences. If a sentence gets too long, reword it and make two sentences. Use a simple, active subject-verb-object sentence structure when possible. Short sentences are easier for most readers to absorb and remember.

4. Use plain language -- clear words that your reader can relate to. Look for terms that could be misunderstood and replace them or give an explanation.

5. Eliminate fuzzy wording that could be interpreted as sarcastic, egocentric, critical, etc. A sentence that sounds fine when spoken may lose its intended effect when read by a recipient.

6. Use short paragraphs and skip a line between paragraphs to make the message easier to read and to emphasize main points.

7. State clearly what you want the recipient to do! Answer a question? Visit a website? Give you an opinion? (Don't assume that sending someone a list of facts will lead them to do something about them!

8. Avoid long, involved descriptions and explanations. If sending this information is critical, send it as an attachment or post it to a website and send the link.

9. Use "you," "your," or the person's name. This produces empathy!

10. Read what you write! Always check any e-mail addresses or website addresses that you have included. Incorrect web addresses are "unreachable" and will irritate your contacts. Until you gain experience, read each e-mail message aloud to yourself before you send it. This technique will help you identify statements or phrases that are vague or that could be misinterpreted. Never write and send an email while angry.

Also, answer promptly. Fast follow up says "good service" to customers

When you receive e-mail -- or send out your e-mail to a target audience and responses start to come in -- what's next? Fast follow up is what helps make a sale, satisfy a customer need, or move your recipient to whatever action you desired of him.

And keep following up. Most sales are not made in the first contact; they are made through follow up. The importance of following up is made clear in these statistics from the Association of Professional Salesmen and the National Sales Executive Association:

• 2% of sales are made on the 1st contact

• 3% of sales are made on the 2nd contact

• 5% of sales are made on the 3rd contact

• 10% of sales are made on the 4th contact

• 80% of sales are made on the 5th-12th contact

You can see from the above data that firms who market online using one-time mass e-mailings might have only limited success. Help prospects reach a decision by presenting a viable, valuable useful possibility that they might not have considered before. Follow up quickly to inquiries -- even if you think you answered a question previously! Use every reasonable opportunity to provide information or service.

Do that and your e-mails will produce far better results.

This article excerpted from the book, Internet Marketing in Real Estate, by William Koelzer, CBC, APR and Barbara Cox, Ph.D, and Published by Prentice-Hall Publishing, 2000, available at Amazon.com .