It is important that, whether for business or personal use, you follow the basic rules governing email etiquette. The way in which you communicate when writing an email is extremely important. The words you use, are a reflection of you and your attitude. As with any professional interaction, you want to convey a level of seriousness and professionalism. You do not want bad practices to follow you into your future career, where effective e-mail communication is vital to good job performance. A significant portion of e-mail etiquette revolves around being considerate of the recipient’s time.
Please consider these things when communicating electronically:
Begin your email with a personal greeting to add warmth to impersonal email communication
Address your contact using the appropriate level of formality and proper honorific.
Formality is in place as a courtesy. Assume the highest level of formality with new email contacts until the relationship dictates otherwise.
Do not leave the subject line blank. The subject line is a deciding factor in whether someone will read on or not.
Make sure your message is clear and concise.
Never send large attachments without notice.
Avoid using all caps, it insinuates shouting and yelling.
Do not use slang words or emoticon.
Do not send anything in an email that you would not want posted on a billboard. There is no such thing as confidentiality.
Choose your email address wisely. It will determine how you are perceived.
Leave the silly email address you used in high school behind to avoid ending up in a spam folder.
Use good grammar, punctuation and spelling. Double-check for embarrassing errors.
Proofread. Use the spelling checker.
Never send an email when angry.
To schedule a meeting or resolve conflict, revert to a personal visit or the telephone after three exchanges on the same topic.
Always end your emails with “Sincerely,” “Best regards,”or “Respectfully yours.”
Please, before you press the “send” button, make sure you are being courteous in your manner.
