Email Etiquitte for the Business Professional

The internet allows us to access information at the tip of our fingers. This powerful tool, like all power, must have rules and etiquette. Chances are, you won’t find yourself deciding whether or not to send hundreds of thousands of spam emails about a once in a lifetime chance to purchase an exact one-inch scale replica of New York City in a snow globe. But you will probably find yourself contacting vendors, customers, clients, competitors, etc via email.

Research conducted by UCLA reveals that almost 88 percent of all internet users in the U.S. use email. Approximately 90 percent of those who use the internet at work use it to access business email.

There are a few rules, if you will, to keep in mind. Written word is often subject to interpretation. The largest part of speech is tone and body language. With those things removed, it’s important to be clear and precise, leaving little room for misunderstanding. We can all think of a few examples in which the meaning changes completely depending on the way words are spoken. Therefore, it’s important to set the right tone for your email.

Here are a few rules about email etiquette, otherwise known as netiquitte:

• Use please and thank you.

• Set a respectful, approachable tone (avoid sounding demanding).

• Address your recipient appropriately. Use Mr. Mrs. or Dr. (when appropriate) until your relationship has become less formal. If they reply or write you signing only their first name, you can assume it’s acceptable to address them on a first name basis.

• Don’t use emoticons or smiley faces until the relationship has become less formal.

• Avoid using all uppercase because it can seem as if you’re shouting.

• When possible, be brief and don’t ramble. If providing an explanation or background information is necessary, then by all means, include it. It may be appropriate to apologize for the wordiness at the end of the message.

• Don’t use shorthand such as U rather than you, 2 instead of to or too, plz instead of please. However, abbreviations such as FYI, Mr. and Mrs., etc., and inc. are acceptable.

• Spelling is important and typos can sometimes confuse or change the meaning of your words. It can be even more important when sending numerical data. Read over your email before you send it.

• Take a look at your email address. If it’s not a company issued address, think about what it’s saying about you. What would prospects think about sexymomma@isp.com? Try using an email address with some configuration of your name, like your first initial and last name or your last name only, etc.

Written by: Sarah Little, TQA Account Executive and Blog Editor

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