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Articles
A Brief Guide for Email Etiquette and Effectiveness
At present, electronic mail (commonly known as "email") is the most popular and
most widely used application on the Internet. Though email has been used for over twenty
years, it has only recently become used by almost everyone in a business setting. Email is a form
of personal or business correspondence; however, email messages are different from your
speech and your paper communications. Because the turnaround time can be so fast, email is
more conversational that traditional paper communications yet email does not convey the
body language and visual cues from eye-to-eye contact.
Here are a some rules of etiquette to increase the effectiveness
of your email:
 | Create email messages that reflect your own personality. Stay away
from sarcasm or too much humor unless you really know your reader(s). Sarcasm does not
translate well over email. |
| Adding an email signature to the close of your messages is a
really good idea. These are simply short text files that you append to most of your
business emails. Typically, an email signature includes information that would normally
appear in your letterhead. Keep the signature around 4 or 5 lines and be sure to include
your email address and URL of your Web site. |
| If you are a poor speller, never really grasped English grammar or
do not feel comfortable expressing yourself in a written format, take a course in
effective writing and double check your spelling (newer email software comes with spell
check, but there are pitfalls of relying solely on spell checkers). If it’s a very
important business message, read the message out loud to proofread. If you stumble over a
sentence, so will your reader. |
| Use asterisks to highlight a key word or thought for emphasis
(i.e. thank you *very* much). Overuse of asterisks may make the sender seem insincere so
use them sparingly. |
| Limit your use of emoticons (the little smiley and other faces
created by ASCII and/or keyboard symbols). They may be fun in a personal message, but
emoticons can be interpreted as unprofessional and may be misunderstood. Use your words to
express your feelings and intent. |
| Keep your email’s content concise. The reader’s
attention span will drift if the message is too wordy or lengthy. |
| Email is considered an "informal" type of communication;
therefore, use paper documents to offer and execute any type of business transaction such
as a proposal, policy statement, contractual offer or negotiation. |
| Because email is informal, it can be fun and certain abbreviations
are acceptable. Here are a few "e-speak" examples: BTW (by the way); FAQ
(frequently asked questions); IMHO (in my humble opinion); FYI (for your information);
TTYL (talk to you later). Just like the emoticons, use e-speak wisely and selectively so
there’s no misunderstanding your meaning. |
| Other than the limited use of e-speak, the use of all capitals is
the online equivalent of "shouting". Avoid the use of a string of capitals
unless absolutely necessary. |
| Whether it’s your home PC or an office environment, email
should not be considered private. Confidential information should not be sent by email.
Also, double check to whom all your email replies are going if you are replying to
message. Make sure to look for more than one recipient and avoid a potentially
embarrassing situation. |
| Check for email messages daily and respond quickly. Even if you do
not have the time to make a full response to someone else’s message, at least
acknowledge your receipt of it and give them a time frame as to when you will be able to
respond more fully. |
| When responding to someone else’s message, include enough of
their message so they can put your response into context. A day or two may have passed
since they sent their message and may not recall their intent. |
| Sending "junk email" or "spamming" is an
annoying and, in some instances, an illegal practice. Send email to persons you know or
who have an interest in your business they have previously expressed either through email
or other traditional contact. |
| Avoid "flames" (a critical or inflammatory response) to
a spammer or upsetting email. Flames are a waste of your energy and time. You probably
would just throw away your regular postal junk mail and then forget it - follow this same
common sense when using email. If you’re really upset by an email, take time to cool
off before emailing back or simply send an "unsubscribe" message if it’s an
unwelcome solicitation. |
