Write a clear, concise subject line that reflects the body of the email. Avoid subject lines with,“Hi,” or “FYI,” and do not leave a subject line blank.
Check and recheck for spelling and grammatical errors. These errors make you seem unprofessional and will reduce the likelihood that the email will be taken seriously. Email software comes with many professional tools such as spell check - use them.
Emails can easily be misinterpreted through text without context. Humor is culture-specific. Avoid both humor and sarcasm in e-mails as the recipient may be confused, or worse, offended.
When you attach a file, be kind enough to take a few extra seconds to paste it into the body of the email as well. This shows consideration to the recipient, by saving them time and risk in opening attachments. Is this more time consuming for you? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.
Replying within 24 hours is common courtesy. Leaving someone hanging for any longer may be perceived as rude. If you’ve unintentionally kept someone waiting longer than 24 hours or extenuating circumstances arose, politely explain the situation and express your apologies.
Those little winking, smiling icons are for text messages. They are inappropriate and unprofessional in a business email. Emoticons may divert email to a spam filter or junk mailbox. And it can look immature and unprofessional.
By letting the recipient know that a response isn’t needed, the email cycle doesn’t continue on in perpetuity. Close with “No reply necessary,” “Thank you again,” “See you at the meeting”, ""Feel free to write back to us"" or “Please let me know if I may be of further assistance.” End your email with a closing such as “Best,” “Best Regards,” “Sincerely,” “Thank you” or another appropriate phrase.
It’s inappropriate to email negative comments. An email in all uppercase letters connotes anger in an email. These antagonistic messages cause awkwardness long after the email has been sent and received. If you must relay bad news via email, use objective words and state the facts. Face-to-face communication is best when relaying bad news.
Avoid using “Reply-to-All” unless everyone needs to know. When an HR sends an email to 10 team members requesting volunteers for an event, reply to the HR, not to all 10 members. Why make ten others delete your email? Reply-to-All is a function for ongoing deliberations on a particular subject.
Getting down to business in an email is important, but a little effort spent writing a greeting goes a long way. It takes only a couple seconds to type a ‘Hello ,’ or 'Hi ' and can make a world of difference regarding how the email comes across to the recipient. Without starting with a greeting, your email may come across cold or demanding, failing to address a recipient’s potential need to connect at a more personal level.
When writing an email, it’s best to skip the flowery language and get right to the point. You’ll want to keep it long enough to address everything it needs to, but the email should contain as few words as possible.
You may think you can fire off emails in your sleep, but odds are those lightning-fast responses you send out don’t get the best reception. Never send an email it’s taken you only seconds to write. Always check your emails for spelling errors and to ensure your reader will understand the context. Do all of these things and your internal emails will make you look professional, organized and confident — and that will go a long way.
WHEN YOU SEE AN EMAIL THAT LOOKS LIKE THIS, DO YOU WANT TO OPEN IT?!?!?!?! Didn’t think so. Extend the Golden Rule to email etiquette and email others how you would like to be emailed — i.e., nothing that looks like you’re being screamed at. Also, prevent the use of smileys and slangs in the email as they don't look professional.
When you are writing to a friend or a close colleague, it is OK to use “smilies” :slight_smile: , abbreviations and nonstandard punctuation and spelling (like that found in instant messaging or chat rooms). Don’t use the same informal language when your reader expects a more formal approach. Always know the situation, and write accordingly.
You never want someone to have to look up how to get in touch with you. If you're a social media savvy, include all of your social media information in your signature as well. Your e-mail signature is a great way to let people know more about you, especially when your e-mail address does not include your full name or company.
Refrain from discussing confidential information in e-mails such as someone's tax information or the particulars of a highly-sensitive business deal. Should the e-mail get into the wrong person's hands, you could face serious - even legal - repercussions.
"Thanks," and "Oh, OK" do not advance the conversation in any way. Feel free to put "No Reply Necessary" at the top of the e-mail when you don't anticipate a response.
Never open an old e-mail, hit Reply, and send a message that has nothing to do with the previous one. Do not hesitate to change the subject as soon as the thread or content of the e-mail chain changes.