Email is the most widely used communication tool in the workplace \u2013 research shows employees send around 50-60 emails every day. But with the proliferation of email, comes the rise of embarrassing errors.<\/p>\n
And small mistakes can have professional consequences. Keep in mind basic email etiquette to draft the perfect (official) email, says Nashua.<\/p>\n
The office automation printing products<\/span> provider, explores some tips for better email etiquette below<\/span>:<\/p>\n Do you need to email?<\/strong><\/p>\n Email may be convenient, but that doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s the best means of communication in every situation. It has to be relevant to be effective. Before you hit the keyboard, ask yourself if it\u2019s necessary to email at all \u2013 a phone call or a face-to-face discussion could suffice. Digital pollution is real \u2013 don\u2019t be responsible for the melting of another ice cap.<\/p>\n If you have too many attachments, save everyone\u2019s time by using a Managed Document Solution (MDS), which allows team members to access and share documents in one centralised location. Find a customisable solution designed for fast document storage and retrieval like Nashua\u2019s MDS. It can also be used to review, approve and update versions so the latest copies of documents are saved, instead of sending multiple emails during the reviewing process.<\/p>\n Subject: must make sense<\/strong><\/p>\n Make the subject line of your email clear \u2013 something the recipient actually cares about. People often decide whether or not to open an email based on the subject line alone. It\u2019s also important to edit the subject line when the theme changes within the thread. Examples of useful subject lines include \u2018meeting date changed\u2019 or \u2018proposal suggestions\u2019. Choose one that lets readers know you\u2019re addressing their concerns upfront.<\/p>\n Avoid striking fear into the hearts of recipients with misleading subject lines (for example, \u2018client lost\u2019, when actually the client is simply asking for directions to your office). It\u2019s tempting to forward emails but no one wants to see \u2018FW: FW: FW:\u2019 Make the effort to change the subject line and content so it\u2019s relevant to the recipient.<\/p>\n Keep it professional<\/strong><\/p>\n Even if you\u2019re sending out an informal email, it shouldn\u2019t affect the nature of the greeting. Don\u2019t use laid back colloquial expressions like \u2018hey you guys\u2019. \u2018Hey\u2019 is an informal salutation \u2013 use \u2018Hi\u2019 or \u2018Hello\u2019 instead and keep a professional tone. Other no-go areas: \u2018sup\u2019, \u2018cheers\u2019, \u2018sweet\u2019 and \u2018dude\u2019. It\u2019s also advisable not to shorten anyone\u2019s name unless you\u2019re certain the recipient prefers it.<\/p>\n Keep tabs on tone<\/strong><\/p>\n Be cautious with humour \u2013 it gets lost in translation. In a professional email exchange, it\u2019s better to omit jokes. Something you think is hilarious might not be funny to someone else. The general rule is: when in doubt, leave it out.\u00a0 Start your email with a formal salutation, then state the purpose and convey the message. Separate text into paragraphs to present individual ideas and always conclude with a polite sign off.<\/p>\n A passive aggressive \u2018LOL\u2019 at the end of a serious or offensive message is just plain annoying. Avoid it at all costs.<\/p>\n The formatting faux pas<\/strong><\/p>\n The format of an email can impact how the message is received. Using all caps is seen as shouting. Using only lowercase comes across as lazy. To get someone\u2019s attention, opt for bold text, but use it sparingly. Keep font size and colour consistent and simple.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing more frustrating than bad fonts and jarring spacing. Comic Sans and Times New Roman are just not okay. Overly wide spacing because you\u2019re a minimalist also doesn\u2019t go down well.<\/p>\n Avoid miscommunication by keeping content clear, organised and contextual. Long and badly structured sentences can confuse. Research shows people won\u2019t trawl through long, tedious emails and simply switch off. Use bullet points if necessary.<\/p>\n Double the eyes<\/strong><\/p>\n The harsh reality is that consistent spelling mistakes do reflect incompetence. Don\u2019t rely on spell-check to cover yourself \u2013 read emails a few times before sending, to check it\u2019s grammatically correct.<\/p>\n If the reader can\u2019t understand what you\u2019ve written, they may not take action. Auto-correct can mess with your emails too \u2013 a client\u2019s name, \u2018Brian\u2019 could easily switch to \u2018Brain\u2019.<\/p>\n Nothing\u2019s confidential<\/strong><\/p>\n Remember every email leaves a digital trail. It\u2019s safe to assume someone will see it \u2013 so don\u2019t send anything you don\u2019t want made public. Avoid petty or personal emails \u2013 you\u2019re better than that.<\/p>\n Stay on top<\/strong><\/p>\n Delayed responses reflect disorganisation and apathy. Even if you\u2019re not able to attend to an email right away, reply with an acknowledgement \u2013 just clearly state you\u2019ll attend to the issue later.<\/p>\n No one appreciates the \u2018I\u2019m-late-to-the-party-and-I know-the-problem\u2019s-been-solved-but-I\u2019m-going-to-reply-a-week-later-to-look-like-I\u2019m-on-top-of-things\u2019 approach either.<\/p>\n Think twice before hitting ‘reply all\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n No one wants to read emails with nothing to do with them. Refrain from hitting \u2018reply all\u2019 unless you think everyone on the list needs to be in the know. Although there might be exceptions, BCCing is pure deception. Use only for long lists of recipients who don\u2019t know each other.<\/p>\n “Before clicking \u2018reply\u2019 and typing a quick response, make sure you\u2019ve done all the above. It may take some practice to keep your emails professional and to the point, but you\u2019ll look more polished and organised in the long run,” Nashua said.<\/p>\n
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