All your professional email communications needs to make an
impression that you are someone that will be easy and a pleasure to work with
and that you are a credible professional. With email you only have one
chance to make that first impression which will be invaluable to building trust
and confidence. It’s very common that your first contact with other people
will often be through email. In fact, while you may never actually meet them
face to face, you might well end up having a productive ongoing email and
professional relationship with them for years.
These are three reasons why you need email etiquette:
- Avoid
confusion, poorly worded emails can lead to misinterpretation or mistake
- Efficiency:
emails that get to the point are much more effective than long emails.
- Professionalism:
by using proper email language you will convey a professional image
Here are some simple rules of email etiquette you can follow
in order to make sure your emails will be warmly and productively received.
- Check
your organization’s email policy is. Many organizations have rules about
the types of message that can be sent and also if your email is monitored
or screened
- Make
sure your e-mail includes a courteous greeting and closing. Helps to make
your e-mail not seem demanding or terse.
- Address
your contact with the appropriate level of formality and make sure you
spelled their name correctly
- Spell
check - emails with typos are simply not taken as seriously
- Read
your email out loud to ensure the tone is that which you desire. Try to
avoid relying on formatting for emphasis; rather choose the words that
reflect your meaning instead
- Be
sure you are including all relevant details or information necessary to
understand your request or point of view
- Refrain
from using the Reply to All feature to give your opinion to those who may
not be interested. In most cases replying to the Sender alone is your best
course of action
- Type
in complete sentences. To type random phrases or cryptic thoughts does not
lend to clear communication
- Always
acknowledge emails from those you know in a timely manner
- Be
sure the Subject: field accurately reflects the content of your email
- Keep
emails brief and to the point
- Always
end your emails with "Thank you," "Sincerely,"
"Best regards"
- Avoid
unnecessarily large file sizes. Digital photos especially, learn how to
resize your digital photographs
- Don't
type in CAPITALS as this is considered to be SHOUTING. This is one of the
rudest things you can do.
- Use
BCCs (Blind Carbon Copies) when addressing a message to a group of people
who don't necessarily know each other
- Don't
write anything you wouldn't say in public
- Be
Professional, stay away from abbreviations and don't use emoticons (the
little smiley faces).
- Ask
Before You Send an Attachment: Because of large size attachments or
computer viruses, many people won't open attachments unless they know the
sender, ask the recipient first
- Think
before you forward! Get the sender's permission first
- Don't
send confidential or secret information through email. Email messages are
more like postcards than sealed letters; they pass through many computers
to get to their destination.
Remember, the content of an email includes the character of
the person who wrote it, so try to make a good impression every time.
Source: The World Wide Web