1. Use a meaningful subject
The subject field must indicate content and purpose. Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. For instance, when you send an email to a company requesting information about a product, it is better to mention the actual name of the product, e.g. 'Product A information' than to just say 'product information' or the company's name in the subject.
The subject field must indicate content and purpose. Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. For instance, when you send an email to a company requesting information about a product, it is better to mention the actual name of the product, e.g. 'Product A information' than to just say 'product information' or the company's name in the subject.
2. Be concise and be Professional
When possible, be brief. Get to your point as quickly as you can. However, please don't leave out necessary details. If providing a lot of background information will help the recipient answer your query, by all means, include it. You may even want to apologize for being so wordy at the beginning of the message.
When possible, be brief. Get to your point as quickly as you can. However, please don't leave out necessary details. If providing a lot of background information will help the recipient answer your query, by all means, include it. You may even want to apologize for being so wordy at the beginning of the message.
3. Use a formal greeting in your professional correspondence
Such as Dear Sir, Madam, or To Whom it May Concern. Use last names such as Dear Mr. Brown.
Such as Dear Sir, Madam, or To Whom it May Concern. Use last names such as Dear Mr. Brown.
4. Answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions
5. Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
Always do a spell check before sending the email.
Always do a spell check before sending the email.
6. Do not attach unnecessary files
By sending large attachments you can annoy customers and even bring down their e-mail system. Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when they are productive.
By sending large attachments you can annoy customers and even bring down their e-mail system. Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when they are productive.
7. Use proper structure & layout
Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and lay out is very important for e-mail messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph. When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview. Refrain from formatting your email with colored text and background colors or images in.
Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and lay out is very important for e-mail messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph. When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview. Refrain from formatting your email with colored text and background colors or images in.
8. Do not write in CAPITALS
IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. This can be highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail.
IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. This can be highly annoying and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail.
9. Do not use lots of exclamation or question marks
If you use lots of !!!! and ??? at the end of a sentence it may seem as if you are yelling or making sarcasm of the recipient and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail.
If you use lots of !!!! and ??? at the end of a sentence it may seem as if you are yelling or making sarcasm of the recipient and might trigger an unwanted response in the form of a flame mail.
10. Don't reply to an email message when angry
If you reply to an email when angry you may regret it later. Once the message has been sent, you will not be able to recover it and this same message might top up to the surface when being promoted
If you reply to an email when angry you may regret it later. Once the message has been sent, you will not be able to recover it and this same message might top up to the surface when being promoted
11. Do not overuse the high priority option
If you overuse the high priority option, it will lose its function when you really need it. Moreover, even if a mail has high priority, your message will come across as slightly aggressive if you flag it as 'high priority'.
If you overuse the high priority option, it will lose its function when you really need it. Moreover, even if a mail has high priority, your message will come across as slightly aggressive if you flag it as 'high priority'.
12. Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT
Even more so than the high-priority option, you must at all times try to avoid these types of words in an email or subject line. Only use this if it is a really, really urgent or important message.
Even more so than the high-priority option, you must at all times try to avoid these types of words in an email or subject line. Only use this if it is a really, really urgent or important message.
13. Don't leave out the message thread
When you reply to an email, you must include the original mail in your reply, in other words click 'Reply', instead of 'New Mail'. If you receive many emails you obviously cannot remember each individual email. This means that a 'threadless email' will not provide enough information and you will have to spend a frustratingly long time to find out the context of the email in order to deal with it. Leaving the thread might take a fraction longer in download time, but it will save the recipient much more time and frustration in looking for the related emails in their inbox!
When you reply to an email, you must include the original mail in your reply, in other words click 'Reply', instead of 'New Mail'. If you receive many emails you obviously cannot remember each individual email. This means that a 'threadless email' will not provide enough information and you will have to spend a frustratingly long time to find out the context of the email in order to deal with it. Leaving the thread might take a fraction longer in download time, but it will save the recipient much more time and frustration in looking for the related emails in their inbox!
14. Read the email before
re you send it
A lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.
re you send itA lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the recipient will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.
15. Put the recipient in the To: filed when the recipient is supposed to act on the message and in the cc: field when the recipient needs to be aware of the message
Include the person in the cc: field when you have a particular reason for wanting this person to see your response.
Include the person in the cc: field when you have a particular reason for wanting this person to see your response.
16. Use the Bcc: field when sending general emails to a large number of recipients
When sending an email mailing, some people place all the email addresses in the To: field. There are two drawbacks to this practice: (1) the recipient knows that you have sent the same message to a large number of recipients, and (2) you are publicizing someone else's email address without their permission. One way to get round this is to place all addresses in the Bcc: field. However, the recipient will only see the address from the To: field in their email, so if this was empty, the To: field will be blank and this might look like spamming. You could include the mailing list email address in the To: field.
When sending an email mailing, some people place all the email addresses in the To: field. There are two drawbacks to this practice: (1) the recipient knows that you have sent the same message to a large number of recipients, and (2) you are publicizing someone else's email address without their permission. One way to get round this is to place all addresses in the Bcc: field. However, the recipient will only see the address from the To: field in their email, so if this was empty, the To: field will be blank and this might look like spamming. You could include the mailing list email address in the To: field.
17. Take care with abbreviations and emoticons.
In business emails, try not to use abbreviations such as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud). The recipient might not be aware of the meanings of the abbreviations and in business emails these are generally not appropriate. The same goes for emoticons, such as the smiley :-). If you are not sure whether your recipient knows what it means, it is better not to use it.
In business emails, try not to use abbreviations such as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud). The recipient might not be aware of the meanings of the abbreviations and in business emails these are generally not appropriate. The same goes for emoticons, such as the smiley :-). If you are not sure whether your recipient knows what it means, it is better not to use it.
18. Do not ask to recall a message
Biggest chances are that your message has already been delivered and read. A recall request would look very silly in that case. It is better just to send an email to say that you have made a mistake. This will look much more honest than trying to recall a message.
Biggest chances are that your message has already been delivered and read. A recall request would look very silly in that case. It is better just to send an email to say that you have made a mistake. This will look much more honest than trying to recall a message.
19. Use a signature that includes contact information. To ensure that people know who you are, include a signature that has your contact information, including your position in the company, your website, and phone numbers.
No comments:
Post a Comment