Plaxo Etiquette

Each and every new technology has a learning curve as we figure out how to use it, and use it well. Remember when you’d frequently see people talking on their cell phone in a restaurant, or in the movie theater? And how many of those forwarded blonde or lawyer jokes were really funny?

Plaxo is committed to helping you become a better member of the digital world. Below you’ll find a few tips and suggestions on how to make the best use of Plaxo.

• Just the facts. Update Requests have two purposes: 1) providing your contact information and 2) requesting updated contact information. If you need to publicize your business or event, find another way to advertise. Update Requests with solicitations or advertisements only give the rest of us with good manners a bad name. Plus it’s a good way to get booted off the Plaxo service in a hurry.
• Know who you want to know. Only send Update Requests to people who clearly know you and would want to receive your information. You may have saved the information of someone you briefly met at a business meeting or from a collection of business cards you acquired at a tradeshow. Think twice about sending Update Requests to these types of contacts. You may want to know them, but the feeling may not be mutual. Without taking proper care with your Update Requests, you could end up seeming like a nuisance or even (gasp!) a spammer.
• The personal touch. Personalize your Update Request with your own words. Plaxo does provide generic standard text, but don’t you prefer a personalized message over a standard statement? So do your contacts.
• Tell them who you are. When you send Update Requests, make sure to provide plenty of information about who you are in your Plaxo Cards. Even better, when you personalize your message, tell them how they know you (e.g., we went to high school together, my new information includes my new last name). Details help your contacts to feel more comfortable and they are more likely to respond to your Update Request with their own update. In addition, they allow your contact to also benefit from your message because they now have all of your updated info. Now that’s just good manners.
• Respect others’ privacy. If you’ve sent two Update Requests to your friend and they haven’t responded, chances are they have their reasons. Maybe they don’t like using e-mail; maybe they don’t like you. Bombarding them with multiple Update Requests won’t change their mind. Trust us. Why don’t you pick up the phone and call?