Email Etiquette

T

hese are small but significant tips, have fun reading.

we spend an average of 4.1 hours checking our work email each day. That’s 20.5 hours each week, more than 1,000 hours each year, more than 47,000 hours over a career. And it’s astonishing we still don’t know a thing as email etiquette.

Let’s read below: 1. Subject Line; It has an undue, unknown underappreciated importance. Imagine I gave you 5-6 words for each conversation/talk to explain what all you have to say for a day, yes for a whole single day and basis which I’ll decide If I’ll listen to what you have to say. I’m sure you ‘ll be careful. You have limited resources and you would want to use them judiciously to express the most in least words. Hence, the subject line, the first impression of the email is very very important. It is the deciding factor for the reader to spend their time over it or not. Make it crisp, and make it relevant. Resonate to what you are saying/telling in the email below. It is the key to your reader’s attention. 2.Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation; Please do a small spell, grammar and punctuation check, There is nothing more embarrassing than a rookie error, and it not only ruins the mood of the reader but can also lead to serious misunderstandings. Like; let’s eat Grandma! or Let’s eat, Grandma! (I hope you realize the difference) 3. Read the last email, manage context and relevance; The most common error is not replying to the email correctly, read the last email and reply appropriately. Don’t reply to an email with an unrelated email. Colleague sends an email on a new training and another colleague sends a reply to it about a new client acquisition. It doesn’t make any sense, it leaves ambiguity and shows no interest in the first email. 4.Use of exclamation marks; Do not unnecessarily show excitement. People sometimes get carried away and put a number of exclamation points at the end of their sentences. The result can appear too emotional or immature. Be mindful. 5. Proofread; This is universally applicable. This is the most obvious, common and yet not in practice etiquette. Tone, grammar and meaning, are they in line, and it makes sense for the reader. Considering it is not a in person conversation, leave no room for doubt and lack of understanding. Proof read it as a reader, put them into your shoes and then send.

Some small tips;

• Even when you are replying to a message, it’s a good precaution to delete the recipient’s address and insert only when you are ready to read.

• Does it have all the relevant information?

• Am I replying to a single person, or hitting reply all?

• Does it require any contact details for follow ups?

• Disclose time, place and severity of the message as applicable.