Coaching Tip: Using the SIG

Originally Submitted on 12/6/2001.

Introduction

Let the signature block of your email work for you

The Coaching Tip

Email is a unique opportunity when you’re marketing. It’s like being a business owner and having the customer standing right in front of you, a captive audience. Treat this person as the target market and make your signature block, your “sig,” work for you. It's part of branding.

In coaching, many coaches attach quotations to their sig lines and also use unique closings. Because coaching is a relationship, and based on a “fit” between coach and client, it's good to use every opportunity to broadcast who you are and to engage the reader. You are into a relationship from the first second you make contact, whether you acknowledge this or not.

Unique closings also prevail. "Warm regards,” “hugs,” “butterflies and sunshine,” and “we’re all in this together,” as well as “joyfully,” and “vibrantly” have appeared in my email box. At the same time, the nature of the quote the coach chooses tells me much about their style and personality. Some are bold (“If you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, stride down there and light the damn thing yourself,” –David Wood). Some are tender, (“Beyond wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe,” –Max Ehrmann), and some are humorous (“The average, healthy, well-adjusted adult gets up at seven-thirty in the morning feeling just plain terrible.”)

While this form of closing may not be what you use, or appropriate for all your clients, be aware of the potential of the sig.

The sig should always include:

(1) Your name;

(2) Your URL;

(3) A tagline – “service with a smile” or “the best in baby products”;

(4) Something special just for your target market, preferably something free. For instance, I direct the reader toward one of my free teleclasses or e-courses that would suit them.

The logistics – most email systems allow you to set up a standard sig that you can tweak a little as the occasion dictates. For instance, if I'm doing parenting coaching with a client, I make the quotation related to parenting. But even if you're on aol for instance, and have to enter the full sig yourself each time, it's worth the effort.

Think of the sig as a mini-billboard. Let it speak for you -- loud and clear.

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