One thing that I did not expect about being a VA would be the vast difference in email styles that I would encounter. While I'm not overly prone to the emoticon, I do use the occasional smiley face - as you, readers, well know! However, I've received strict orders from Landers to "cut that stuff out." He feels like it makes us look unprofessional and juvenile, and I'm embarrassed to say I think he's right, and I wish I had thought of it on my own. 

It started because several of our clients are emailing back and forth with me about quotes. I don't know why they do not just call Landers directly and work this out with him, but they prefer to send the business account a daily email asking about how making this change or that will change the overall price. Once I get the email, I usually just forward it to Landers or call him and ask how I should respond. Sometimes, if I have gotten several different questions from them, I just summarize the questions in a list of bullet points and send the whole thing on to him. Then, I email them back to let them know we're on top of things and that I'll let them know as soon as I hear anything.

Well, therein lies the problem. Landers read some of the "quoted text" in an email forward that I sent him, in which I had, admittedly, gone a little overboard with the smileys. I tend to use them more when I feel like someone may be losing patience, and I definitely feel like this client must be getting tired of the back-and-forth. However, I used about 5. It was embarrassing when I reread the email. I've assured Landers that I'll leave off with the emoticons and the exclamation points, but I find it's a hard habit to break. Email is tough because you can never be sure quite how the reader is going to react. I'm doing my best to make no comments in the text at all except basic statements of fact that are not open for interpretation. I've always thought Landers' emails, which read this way, were a little terse and even sounded angry. Now I guess I know why I felt that way.