A Local Applause Members speaks to you about Email Etiquette
How to Effectively use E-mail both Professionally and Personally.
By Jen Errair
Did you know that e-mail is considered "official correspondence" and can be used in criminal and civil cases? Have you ever noticed that many companies have some sort of disclaimer at the bottom of their e-mail? Learn how to effectively use e-mail without annoying others, and to make a great impression every time.
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You’ll Need:
- A desire to make a great impression to potential and current clients.
- A desire to reflect professionalism in all you do.
Step 1 -Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization COUNT!
Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization rules apply
EVERY TIME! This simple courtesy should be given to EVERY reader including your
family and friends. When we ignore this rule it can portray a lack of care and
it is simply unacceptable regardless of the content of the message. Imagine the
number of times we forward an e-mail on. Is this an image you want to portray
to others who receive the e-mail later down the line?
Step 2 -Stop
& think before forwarding
Never forward non-business related e-mail at the office! We live
in a very politically correct time, ladies and gentlemen and although we may
find it humorous or worth forwarding, we have no idea what others may think and
or feel regardless of how well we think we know them. As an example, during my
time in Corporate America, I was told of an individual that forwarded a
non-business related e-mail to a co-worker who took offense to the item sent.
Although it was not originally started by this individual - they were FIRED for
forwarding it on. If you find something TRULY hilarious that you must send,
send it to your personal e-mail account. Then, prior to sending it to others,
create a brand new e-mail message and cut and past the information WITHOUT any
company information included.
Step 3 - Boycott the "reply all" button!
This button should NOT exist. If you have a response, send it to the original sender and ONLY those it directly affects. People do not appreciate your opinion/thoughts especially when it has NOTHING to do with them - all it does is aggravate them and clog their in-box with non-relavent material.
Step 4- Always consider your
audience when writing e-mail.
Most people do not enjoy "fluff". Follow the "KISS" rule - Keep It Simple, Silly. Most people like it short and sweet but still well written. Using bullets in an e-mail can be helpful for those without a lot of time to spend reading.
Step 5 - Not all
e-mail requires a reply
- Please let me know if this information was helpful to you by rating this article!