The world has changed so much ever since email became a standard mode of communication. Think about it. Emails take up about a significant portion of our day. Whether it’s about sending emails for business purposes or for personal work, as per the International Data Corporation (IDC) workers have been reported to spend about 28% of their workweek answering and reading emails.
While we are continually looking for ways to minimize the time, we take to send an email. Therefore, there are specific social rules that we might ignore while doing so. So, here we have some of the do’s and don’ts of sending an email.
DO Have A Clear Subject Line:
The worst mistake you can ever make while sending an email is not having a proper subject line. Think of it this way: how many of the emails do you check a day? What do you read at first? The subject line. A good subject line changes your reader’s mind at once. The more appealing it is going to be, the more your reader is likely to read the message. So, go for something catchy, be short and be specific.
DON’T Forget Your Signature:
Emails must have your signature. It tells the recipient that you’re genuine and more specifically, how they can contact you. Set it up, and it will automatically appear at the end of each email. Include your contact details and make sure not to leave anything behind so that the recipient does not have to go on looking for your address, phone number or any other information.
DO Use A Professional Salutation:
Avoid using “Hey”, “Yo” or “Hi”. That’s not professional at all. Even if you have a personal relationship with the recipient, use “Hello” instead. Generally, it’s always best to use “Dear (recipient name).” Using the other person’s name in a salutation like “Hello Robert” is also appropriate, but never shorten the person’s name unless you do have the permission to do so.
DON’T Use Humour:
Humour never translates well through an email. Why? That’s because what you find funny has a good chance of being misinterpreted by the recipient. Sarcasm does not turn out too well at times. Without a vocal tone or facial expressions, humorous phrases and sarcasm usually keep the recipient in doubt. So, we would always say, leave humour out of business communications.
DO Proofread Your Message:
Did you know that you might be judged for the way you compose an email? Don’t be surprised. That might happen because if you misspell certain words or gather grammatical errors, you might be perceived as careless, uneducated or sloppy. Therefore, check your grammar, spelling and the entire message before you hit “send”.
DON’T Assume That Your Recipient Knows What You Are Talking About:
Start from scratch. Create your message from the beginning and make it clear about what you are trying to say. Even if it is a reply to a chain of emails, make sure to include a subject, previous references or conversations. It can be pretty intimidating and time consuming for someone to look back at the chain message to brush up on the context. Like we mentioned earlier, your recipient might be receiving hundreds of emails a day, and there’s a good chance for them not to remember about the events that led up to your email.
DON’T Shoot From Your Lip:
It’s not very professional to send angry emails or give a quick reply. Put in your thoughts and considerations when sending an email. If you feel angry, type out your message and leave it in the “drafts” folder. Once you cool down, review it once again and come up with a much appropriate response.
DO Keep Your Message Private:
Emails are very private and confidential. So, never forward or simply send an email to someone, even inadvertently. If you feel the need to share any information, do so in person or over a telephonic conversation. Ask for permission before you go on to send a sensitive material either in the body of the email or in your attachment.
DON’T Overuse Exclamation Points:
Exclamation points are used only to indicate excitement. Abbreviations like LOL or ALL CAPS do not translate well when it comes to business communications. Leave such exclamations unless you know the recipient personally or exceptionally well. Also, it’s not at all professional to leave a string of exclamation points!!!!
In this era of the Internet, it’s pretty easy to click “reply,” type out a quick response and hit the “send” button without putting in too many thoughts to what you have just written. However, know that the way you type your email has a lot to tell about your reputation, both professionally and personally. You may need to practice your email professionalism for a while, but once you get the hang of it, you will look more polished and organized in the long run.