According to a new survey from McKinsey Global Institute and International Data Corp., over a quarter of a worker’s day is spent answering and reading emails. At a rate like this, it’s no surprise most of us quickly type something up and hit reply without giving the content of the message much thought. It may be wise to take another look email etiquette tips.
Specialists like personal productivity expert Peggy Duncan agree that your email behavior plays a critical role in developing your reputation, both professionally and personally. By being mindful of our email etiquette at work we can implicitly highlight our personal strengths, resulting in stronger relationships with colleagues and securing greater success for future business ventures. We have put together a list of email etiquette guidelines to get you going in the right direction.
- Answer all questions asked. Be sure to always be thorough when replying to a message. Proper email responses address each issue presented, even if just to acknowledge you don’t know the answer.
- Use proper spelling and capitalization. A business email should comply with the same punctuation rules as any other writing. Be sure to always capitalize “I” and the first letter of proper nouns, capitalize acronyms and always start sentences with a capital letter.
- Reply in a timely manner. A reply within 24 – 48 hours is typically considered a timely response but this can vary based on the sender or content of the message.
- Pay attention to your email tone. Sending bad news, firing someone or scolding a fellow employee over email should always be avoided. Due to the casual nature of email, workers often forget that the correspondence being exchanged is a permanent record. When writing business e-mails, always do your best to keep things positive.
- Avoid using abbreviations, emoticons or slang. If you wouldn’t include it in official business documents, it likely shouldn’t be included in an email pertaining to business either.
- Assign messages to “high priority” sparingly. Be specific in your subject lines instead.
- Include a clear subject line. A direct and sensible subject line is critical for inbox organization. Also, ensure your subject line describes what is inside. Don’t open an old email and click Reply when the content of the message is something entirely different.
- Take time to send your emails to the right people. A common mistake is not carefully reviewing the recipients when sending a message. For example, workers often select “Reply All” instead of mindfully choosing those the message pertains to.
- Include a signature. You want to be sure it is easy for someone to get in touch with you if needed. A professional email signature is also a great opportunity to share a little about you – social media information, for example.
Always keep in mind that email can be an incredibly valuable tool for building relationships, and relationships are the most elemental component of a successful business. By creating a community built around inclusion rather than exclusion, Sendio guarantees that your community comes first. For more information or to request a free quote, fill out this form.
