Tips for better e-mail etiquette

 

There are certain Professional standards expected for e-mail use . Here are some things to keep in mind regarding professional e-mail conduct:

 

 

 

 

 

 Be Informal ,not sloppy: Your Colleagues may use commonly accepted abbreviations in e-mail, but when communicating with external customers, everyone should follow standard writing protocol. Your e-mail message reflects you  and your company, so traditional spelling, grammar, and punctuation rules apply.

 

Keep messages brief and to the point : Just because your writing is grammatically correct does not mean that it has to be long. Nothing is more frustrating than wading through an e-mail message that is twice as long as necessary. Concentrate on one subject per message whenever possible.

 

Use sentence case : Using all capital letters looks as if you are shouting . Use all lowercase letters looks lazy. For emphasis, use asterisks or bold formatting to emphasise important words. Do not, however , use a lot of colours or graphics embedded in your message.

 

Remember that e-mail isn't private :  E-mail is considered company property and can be retrieved, examined, and used in a court of law. Unless you are using an encryption device ,you should assume that e-mail over the Internet is not secure. Never put in an e-mail message anything that you wouldn't put on a postcard. Remember that e-mail can be forwarded, so unintended audiences may see what you've written. You might also inadvertently send something to the wrong party, so always keep the content professional to avoid embarrassment.

 

Use the Subject field : Don't just , "Hi" or " From Sandra".  Agree on acronyms to use that quickly identify actions . Subject line should explain that what is included in the e-mail.

Use proper structure & layout: Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, structure and layout is very important for e-mail messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph . When making points , number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview.

 

Read the e-mail before you send it : A lot of people don't bother to read an e-mail before they send it out , as can be seen from many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.

 

Avoid long sentences : Try to keep your sentences to a maximum of 15-20 words. Email is meant to be quick medium and requires a different kind of writing than letters. Also take care not to send emails that are too long. If a person receives an email that looks like a dissertation, chances, are that they will not even attempt to read it.

Do not overuse Reply to All : Only use Reply to All if you need your message to be seen by each person who received the original message.

Take care with rich text and HTML messages : Be aware that when you send an email in rich text or HTML format , the sender might only be able to receive plain text emails. If this is the case, the recipient will receive your messages as a .text attachment.

 

 

 

 

References : http://www.emailreplies.com/

                     http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/outlook-help/12-tips-for-better-e-mail-etiquette-HA001205410.aspx

                  http://youtu.be/qjoKfeYnr2A