7 email
etiquette rules every professional should know
By Vivian Giang, Business Insider
It’s easy to see why email is the preferred form of
communication in today's workplace.
Smartphones allow us to send and receive messages from
anywhere. They're convenient, and you aren't afraid that you might be
interrupting someone by texting or calling them on the phone.
But it's this convenience that leads people to making
embarrassing mistakes that may be detrimental in a professional interaction.
For example, you could easily miss a spelling error while typing out an email
on your phone or come off as too casual or unprofessional in tone or content.
1. Include a clear, direct subject line.
Examples of a good subject line include: "Meeting date changed,"
"Quick question about your presentation," or "Suggestions for
the proposal."
2. Use a professional email address.
If you work for a company, you should use your company email address. But if
you use a personal email account -- whether you are self-employed or just like
using it occasionally for work-related correspondences -- you should be careful
when choosing that address.
3. Think twice before hitting "reply all."
No one wants to read emails from 20 people when it has nothing to do with them.
They could just ignore the emails, but many people get notifications of new
messages on their smartphones or distracting pop-up messages on their computer
screens. Refrain from hitting "reply all" unless you really think
everyone on the list needs to receive the email.
4. Use exclamation points sparingly.
If you choose to use an exclamation point, use only one to convey excitement.
People sometimes get carried away and put a number of exclamation points at the
end of their sentences. Exclamation points should be used sparingly in writing.
5. Be cautious with humor.
Humor can easily get lost in translation without the right tone or facial
expressions. In a professional exchange, it's better to leave humor out of
emails unless you know the recipient well. Also, something that you think is
funny might not be funny to someone else.
6. Know that people from different cultures speak and write
differently.
Miscommunication can easily occur due to cultural differences, especially in
the writing form when we can't see each others body language. Tailor your
message depending on the receiver's cultural background or how well you know
him.
A good rule to keep in mind is that high-context cultures
(Japanese, Arab or Chinese) want to get to know you before doing business with
you. Therefore, it may be common for business associates from these countries
to be more personal in their writings. On the other hand, people from
low-context cultures (German, American or Scandinavian) prefer to get to the
point quickly.
7. Reply to your emails -- even if the email wasn't intended
for you.
It's difficult to reply to every email message ever sent to you, but you should
try to. This includes when the email was accidentally sent to you, especially
if the sender is expecting a reply. A reply isn't necessary, but serves as good
email etiquette, especially if this person works in the same company or
industry as you.
Here's an example reply: "I know you're very busy, but
I don't think you meant to send this email to me. And I wanted to let you know
so you can send it to the correct person."
Aside from these email tips, always make sure to proof your
messages so that there aren't any jarring mistakes that make you seem
unprofessional. Always add the email address last so that the email doesn't
accidentally send before you're ready.