By now everyone is familiar and used to sending and receiving emails. It is the main form of communication in every business and organization that exists. It is the way we connect with others, convey information, and fulfill the mission of wherever we work. Though email has been commonly used for some time now, it is worth everyone’s time to take a moment and refresh on the do’s and don’t’s of email.
A little background on me, I have conducted thousands of communication training hours in hundreds of organizations throughout North America and there are some common themes or “pet peeves” that I continue to hear.
Don’t
One of the irritations I hear the most is the wrong use of “Reply All” when a “Reply” is what is called for. There are times when everyone needs to receive information and sending a mass email is an effective way to do that. People who feel the need to reply then absent-mindedly hit “reply all” and everyone gets the “Thanks for sending this” email. A little tip- BCC large groups of people, email providers have corrected the problem so that you can only reply to the sender and not everyone on the list.
Do
Be consciousness and think about what your reply is and who needs to know.
Don’t
Don’t brainstorm in an email. No one likes rambling, verbal or otherwise.
Do
Keep your message short and to the point. Everyone has a different style of communicating and some individuals are more wordy than others. In electronic communication “less is more” is a good motto especially when you don’t know the preference of the person on the other end.
Don’t
Don’t start off your email directing someone to do something. While getting to point quickly is good, tone can be picked up in an email and it can feel rude or “aggressive.” Ex. Send me the copy of last month’s report by today at 3 pm.
Do
Please and thank you are still the magic words especially now when we’re all moving fast. Ex. Hi Mike. Can you please send me a copy of last month’s report by 3 pm today? Thanks, Suzanne. You’ll make more friends this way and get more smiles when you do meet people face to face.
Don’t
Don’t use vague subject lines or continue to reply to old emails when the content of the current email is not related to what’s in the subject line.
Do
According to a 2017 article in Forbes Magazine (Acton, 2017) the average worker receives up to 200 emails a day and many people use subject lines to sort and prioritize. Help people out by writing specific subject lines. For example, “confirm Thursday’s meeting at 2 pm regarding Quality.” The important information is in the subject and people can now sort and reply as best works for them.
Don’t
Don’t use emoticons, bad grammar, colored backgrounds, or anything that makes it hard for people to read.
Do
Do use professional communication and proofread your emails- remember every correspondence that you have with another person is a reflection of you. Presenting yourself in a professional manner will set you up to be successful in all of your interactions.
In closing, email, when used effectively, can save you time and allow you to be more productive. It is also a tool for building and maintaining positive working relationships
Acton, Annabel (2017, July 13) How to Stop Wasting 2.5 hours on Emails everyday. Retrieved from the World Wide Web: https://www.forbes.com/sites/annabelacton/2017/07/13/innovators-challenge-how-to-stop-wasting-time-on-emails/#6391e2089788
Article originally appeared in Business Pathways Crystal Lake Chamber of Commerce