Perfecting your email etiquette

The use of email in the corporate world is pensive.  I hardly get any letter to my postal address. Even a business phone call has become uncommon.

You might find yourself clicking to “Reply”,  “Reply all”, “Forward”, trying to respond to the email, thing not much what is conveyed through that email.

Experts speak that your reputation is portrayed both professionally and personally via an email.

It is the need of the day that the companies should have established rules for business email etiquettes. It is a known fact that the majority of the business communication is handled via an email which is sent to different people in different parts of the world. If the company is lacking in this skill, an appropriate corporate training must be organized.

Tips for perfecting your email etiquette

CAPS

Never type your emails with the Caps Lock On. All-caps means shouting. People assume that your are aggressive and commanding.

14 letters – A magic wand

It is three words and a total of only 14 letters, yet carry a great meaning. When reading an email, you may not notice these words, but if you forget to use them, you will be disrespected. The words are “Please” and “Thank You”. Take this as an advice. Another day, you might get back to me just to say Thank you.

NO to abbreviate words

I have come across emails with a bunch of abbreviations, U replaces you, 2 instead of to, plz for please, and thanx to thanks. Any business email must and should be formal, its fine to uses abbreviations in your personal emails.

Spelling counts and Grammar ……..

Use the spell checker. It is meant to check spellings. But, if you are using a wrong spelling, then you spell check cannot be blamed.

Good grammar is important. It speaks your tone.

Reply all – Beware

For emails you receive listing many recipients, do NOT hit "reply all" unless you really want everyone to receive your reply.

Bullets

Use bullets effectively, if you have to write briefly and succinctly.

Subject

Write a meaningful subject line; just don’t give a generic statement.

Exclamation

Use the exclamation mark sparingly. The more you use, the more it shows that you are childish and unprofessional.

Short and sweet

Keep you emails short and sweet. Do not add emotional flavor to your professional emails.

Signature

Always include a signature

Auto Response

Use auto response, when necessary. An automatic response that says, "Thank you for your e-mail message. I will respond to you as soon as I can" is useless. However, one thing these messages do great is alert spammers that your e-mail is real and that they can add you to their spam list.

Your e-mail is a reflection of you

Every e-mail you send adds to, or detracts from your reputation. An e-mail if scattered, disorganized, and filled with mistakes, the recipient will be inclined to think of you are a scattered, careless, and disorganized professional. Other people's opinions matter and in the professional world, their perception of you will be critical to your success.