Emailing for RESULTS!

The rules haven’t changed, but as we enter the era of mobile communication, it is important to consider email etiquette more than ever. There are several reasons why appropriate email etiquette should be important to you:

Respecting others time
Presenting yourself and your affiliations in a professional manner
Portray yourself as being technically astute (*whether or not that may be the case, it is a sign of higher intelligence)
Better reception of your communication, both electronically and in person

Nothing is more frustrating than an email box full of spam. Do not contribute to the mess. Most people either ignore or are unaware that these simple rules of e-engagement should be considered basic email etiquette:

Be concise! – “Write for a mobile screen regardless of audience.” If you keep this in mind while composing an email, it will ensure that your message is accurate and to the point. Imagine the recipient reading your message in a busy airport on his or her mobile device. Make every word count.

Reread and Edit – If you expect someone else to read and respond to the email, take a moment to give it a second look before publishing. Check to make sure your main purpose of sending the email is crystal clear and that you are including a call-to-action. (How do you expect the recipient to respond?) Is the important document you mentioned attached?

Respond Appropriately - There is nothing more frustrating than being included in a large email and receiving all of the “Reply-All” return emails which are meant solely for the original author. Do the other recipients really need to know your reply message?

Less is more - Is that attachment found online? Send them the URL instead. Are you forwarding something that can be trimmed down? Share the “guts”, not the fluff.

ADDITIONAL READING
When_is_it_Right_to_Write_- Joe_Seiders,_CDI (PDF document)

Advanced Email Etiquette (For Dummies!) – Ben Tessman, TechnoRat Blog

Questions/comments are encouraged below. And while you’re at it, be sure to connect to us! TWITTER, FACEBOOK, LINKEDIN, GOOGLE+

Visit this article at its original location on our website by clicking - Email Etiquette

Comment by Todd Wilson on August 20, 2012 at 4:38pm: Our IT Manager responded to the above post with a more detailed version: http://tinyurl.com/emailetiquettePRO