When's the last time someone asked you for a stupid e-mail?
In real life, I speak on creating smarter e-mails, and true stories are always the funniest and most memorable part. For example, people love the graphic designer who mistakenly wrote to her client, "Could we please whine a little more?" They adore the manager who meant to sign off "Regards," but called his team "Retards," instead.
Some of the stories are embarrassing. Some of the stories are shocking. And some of the stories are pee-in-your-pants funny. But a lot of the stories are too naughty to repeat in a crowd. Yes, mistakenly replying-to-all with a joke about oral sex is hilarious. But it doesn't play on stage.
So I'm on the hunt for more genuine stories about people who have made terrible gaffes in e-mail - stories that can be told in a roomful of professionals. Maybe you have a co-worker who typed something so badly, his or her phrasing couldn't be understood. Maybe your manager buried an important request in a boring diatribe that nobody could be expected to read. Or maybe you've embarrassed yourself in front of all the wrong people because you forgot to pause and think before you hit Send.
Please add your story in the comments below and hide any details (names, companies, etc.) that you don't want revealed. If I use your tale, I'll send you an autographed copy of my upcoming book, "Smart People, Stupid E-Mails" when it hits the stands.
We all know there are a lot of stupid e-mails out there, and from my point of view, the more, the merrier. So please feel free to launch this request out into the e-mailsphere. And thanks, in advance, for the stupid e-mails.
