In this
technology-driven day and age, email messaging has become a significant form of
communication. It is often preferred over a phone call. As a result, proper
email etiquette is more important than ever. There are certain behaviors that
are taboo in face-to-face meetings and the same goes for emails as well. You
wouldn't meet someone in person for the first time and not shake hands or
introduce yourself. But people often send an email to a new contact without a
"verbal handshake". You wouldn't scream at a business associate in the middle
of the office. But people often send an email littered with capitalized
sentences. To quote David Harris from Pegasus Mail, "If your words are important enough to write, then surely they are also
important enough to write properly".
Regardless
of the nature of your business or corporate culture, email is about
communication; so the message should be clear and concise. There are certain
guidelines that employees ought to follow when sending an email, whether it's
to a co-worker, senior level management, or complete stranger.
Below are
some basic guidelines to follow when sending an email on any subject matter to
any recipient.
-
Fill
in the subject line with a meaningful phrase that describes the nature of the
email in just a few short words
-
Write
an introduction - include name, company name, position or department, and
explain the purpose of the email if sending a message to a complete stranger
-
Use
proper grammar and punctuation; avoid run-on sentences
-
Do
not use text-talk or abbreviations
-
Use
the same spacing and formatting as if writing a letter; use logical paragraph
breaks
-
Keep
the message short and to the point; do not write more than what's necessary
-
Do
not write sentences in all uppercase letters - it is the equivalent to yelling
at someone
-
Be
sure to clearly answer any questions when responding to an email
-
Only
respond to the necessary people when responding to a group email; a reply-all
may not be needed
-
Never
send an email in the heat of the moment; take time to cool off before
addressing the issue
-
Do
not deliver a particular message in a email if it wouldn't be delivered
face-to-face either
-
Remember
that emails can live forever; be careful if sending an email that is sensitive
in nature because it could land in the wrong hands
-
Avoid
emailing confidential information, i.e. salaries, social security numbers,
credit card numbers, etc.
-
Use
manners; please and thank you still apply to emails
-
Do
not forward junk mail or spam
-
Use
the cc: field properly; a recipient in the cc: field should know why they are
receiving the message, but should not be expected to respond
-
Use
the high-priority status sparingly; if a response is truly needed ASAP, a phone
call is probably the faster route to take
-
Proofread
the email at least once before hitting send
-
Avoid
using the recall option; simply send another email stating a mistake was made
-
Do
not use any background designs because it increases the size of the email and
can delay sending and receiving
-
Keep
the closing signature to approximately 4-7 lines and include pertinent contact
information
-
Never
send an email without a signature at all
-
Add
a confidentiality statement to the bottom of emails when necessary
In addition to common sense,
requiring employees to use the guidelines stated above will help avoid awkward
and embarrassing moments. If you have additional suggestions to make, please
leave a comment or send a carefully crafted email.
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