It is indeed the digital age where postal address has been replaced by e-mail ids at most places at home and work. Whether the message is about a formal business deal or a simple festival greeting, emails can do it all. Hence, there is absolutely no doubt that emails have become one of the most widespread means of communication.
However, with the ease and speed, also come some concerns of form, style, language and interpretation. While most of us had our English language teachers telling us about the rules of writing a formal business communication letter, none of us told us anything about rules for e-mail communication.
With time, more and more organizations and companies have started realizing that the earlier their employees get a formal training in E-Mail Etiquette, the better it is for the management. Because, if a well written email can close that business deal in a positive manner, a bad one can lead to lot of troubles including legal issues, bad press etc.
Today, I am going to highlight here, few of the favourite and most discussed points in my workshops.
1. Subject Line - Make sure that your subject line is as precise as you can make it. If the email is regarding cancellation of a scheduled meeting, please don't write "Meeting" or "Hello".
2. RIGHT CASE - One mistake which I get all the time during workshops, is the overuse of the upper case. It is okay to highlight important words in the message, but typing an entire line or a message with upper case will definitely make it look like you are shouting at the other person.
3. CC & BCC - Having a CC or a BCC feature in the emails is an accessory to be used for that occasional and appropriate use. It does not mean that we have to use it all the time. A lot of times, I get emails where my address is mentioned in CC with hundreds of others I don't know. It not only makes we want to delete that email but also mark the sender as spam.
Send the message, only to the intended receiver(s), And unless it is a mutual conversation, please mark the emails in BCC so that the privacy of the other person is not lost.
4. Greetings! - In a world where time is becoming more precious than money with every second, business communication is becoming shorter by the day. Nevertheless, let us not forget our manners and say "Hello" and "Good Bye" in our emails too. Please use appropriate greetings at the start and end of each email, so that the email doesn't remind the receiver of a robot.
5. Formatting - This is as important in emails as it is any written communication. Using the correct spacing, fonts and style can make all the difference. A message with big continuous paragraph with lots of text is most likely to be transferred to trash without conveying its intended message. The idea is to make it easier for the receiver to understand your message and not test his reading skills.
6. Angry emails - There is a way to communicate when you are angry or in an overly emotional state of mind. And the way is to keep quiet. Yes, please do not send any email in such a state which might make you regret later. Whenever such a situation arises, take some time off and reply a little while later when you have calmed down. Try to keep the tone of the email neutral to friendly. Remember, what goes out from your compose folder, will stay in the other person's inbox forever!
7. Supplement, Not Replacement - It is always good to remind ourselves that emails are an easy way to send the message, but not always the easiest or the best! If you feel that a matter is being discussed way too many times over emails or being misinterpreted, the best way is to pick up that receiver and dial the number!
I hope these points will come handy so try and remember them before the next time you click send.
With the Christmas and New Year around the corner, are you typing down your emails or sending a good old postcard? Whichever you choose, remember to personalize it and follow the etiquette!
nidhikushshah.blogspot.com/2011/12/e-mail-etiquette.html
