In my last blog post, I began the conversation about proper e-mail etiquette — sharing the first four of eight tips to ensure your digital messages get results and not considered as spam.
If you missed that first blog post, you might want to read it here and then come back.
People are so used to getting and sending e-mails, that they take them entirely for granted. While e-mail can be a very powerful tool in your communication arsenal, proper etiquette and professionalism should not be overlooked when sending them..
If you think writing effective business e-mails is a no-brainer, you might have your eyes opened by this article on BusinessInsider.com: “11 Cringeworthy ‘Reply-All’ Email Disasters.”
Here are the remaining four of my eight business e-mail tips:
- Use proper English grammar/punctuation. If you don’t, people think you’re sloppy, undisciplined, or uneducated. If you love texting abbreviations, save them for texts. Many people do not know them. Using acronyms, abbreviations and other jargon in a business communication is too informal, and may lead to frustration or miscommunication. Use complete sentences, and always spell check, and proofread your correspondence before you hit “send.” Remember, if you’re one of the people who loves to use emoticons (smiley faces, winks, etc.), there are others who find them inane, insulting, too informal, you name it. So, unless you know the other party well, smiley faces are out!
- Be careful about e-mailing about anything confidential or sensitive. It’s difficult for a recipient to really “get” your tone, but very easy for him or her to misinterpret your meaning. Many awful mishaps have occurred when someone hit “send” and sent a confidential e-mail to the wrong party. At work, your e-mails are probably not as secure as you think. If you have something earth-shattering, life-altering, disturbing, or top secret to impart, I suggest either the phone an in-person meet.
- Consider that your e-mail may be read on a smart phone. Don’t send big attachments, which will frustrate your recipient by taking forever to load or open. Always ask permission before sending a big attachment.
- Limit “forwards” and “reply all.” People assume that e-mails are private. Don’t breach this implied social contract by forwarding without first asking permission. As for “reply all” consider whether everyone really needs to see your reply, or will it just be another e-mail clogging up their inbox, containing information they don’t need and don’t want. Use “reply all” on a strictly “need to know” basis.
When you use business e-mail correspondence in a clear, concise, and professional manner, your recipients will likely respond in kind. They will note your professionalism and be grateful for it, because professionalism is always a class act that never goes out of style.