10 Business E-mail Etiquette New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! New attitude? New habits? The last year brought many changes, unfortunately, when it comes to proper technology use, many still do not take their business e-mail habits and activities as seriously as they should.

Everyone can improve on their skills — if they are willing. Remember, perception is the only reality online! Those you communicate with will form an impression about you based on how you choose to use technology – positive and negative alike.

For whatever reason, these issues in particular, are those that I notice are neglected by too many on a daily basis. Make a commitment to improve in these areas and you may find your business online activities to be more enjoyable as well as more profitable and effective. Trust me, it won’t hurt; rather it will only add to the positive impression you will make with those you communicate with and are out to impress.

Many who may never have the pleasure of meeting you in person will only have your use of technology to form their opinions about who you are and what you feel is important, what you will be like to do business with or form a relationship with. The perception of the type of person you are, as well as whether you are a fish out of water online, will certainly be apparent by the efforts you choose to make or neglect.

1. I will not forward an e-mail unless it specifically applies to the person I am sending to. I will include a personal note to that person so they know why I am forwarding that particular e-mail their way. If I must send or forward the same e-mail to a group of contacts, I will do so only when I put their e-mail addresses in the BCc: field to protect their privacy (especially if they don’t know each other).

   I will use the Cc: and BCc: features prudently by only including e-mail addresses that “need to know” the content of the e-mail and will not use these options for CYA or e-tattling purposes thereby causing increased and unnecessary e-mails to others. I will also make a point of down editing my e-mails to remove any text that is irrelevant to the ongoing conversation.

2. I will take the time to make sure that my sentences are complete, capitalized and include proper grammar and punctuation. Not all caps; not all small case. Using proper sentence structure and taking the extra time to ensure that my intent and tone are clear, will do nothing but reflect positively on me. Making these efforts will go a long way to certify that communicating with me is easy and reliable while having the added benefit of helping to avoid any misunderstandings.
3. I will not send an unannounced large attachment of any kind until I ask first when would be the best time to send them to the intended party and what format they prefer to ensure they have the necessary software to view my files. I will never send unannounced large attachments to business contacts outside of business hours when they may not be available to keep their inbox clear. This way, I do not fill their inbox causing all their other e-mail to bounce.

   The fact is I do not know what the other side’s e-mail activity is like to assume my attachment will not cause any unnecessary problems for them. Think of the other side, not just of what is more convenient for you at the moment.

4. I will ensure that the Subject: field will include a brief and concise description of the content of every e-mail I send. I will modify or change the Subject: field when necessary to better display what my e-mail contains when a conversation has moved off the original topic.
5. Every e-mail I send will be courteous and include a proper greeting and closing which includes my name. Typed properly too! Names in small case or all caps reflect either a lack of education or tech savvy; neither of which is a good thing when it comes to building trust in business. Nice greetings and closings avoid my e-mails being perceived as demanding or terse and reflect that I understand common courtesies.
6. I will not post e-mails that were sent to me privately for any reason in a public forum or forward them to a third party without the original sender’s permission. Forwarding of business e-mails indented for your eyes only is poor behavior and reflects you are not to be trusted.
7. I will be very respectful about how I use my employer’s technology resources understanding they are paying the bills and I am on their time. I also understand that I should not assume any level of privacy while using company equipment, connectivity or e-mail resources. I will make a point of reviewing my employer’s policies so that I am familiar with them and can avoid any future problems.
8. I will refrain from formatting my e-mails with colored text, bolding and/or italics because I know it may not look as I intended when received on the other side. I will not include embedded graphics, photos or logos that can easily cause networks to block my e-mails for security reasons. Refraining from formatting guards against my e-mails not being misidentified as spammy and blocked from getting to their intended party.

   I also understand by making the extra effort to add emphasis to my statements by using formatting, it may be taken the wrong way or even over-emphasized by the recipient. I will learn to relay my thoughts clearly with the written word rather than having to rely on red text, caps or bolding. I understand if I take the time to choose my words carefully and reflect on how I use them, formatting is not necessary to communicate with clarity.

9. When I sign up for a Web site service, newsletter or am sending an inquiry, I will take the time to add that site’s e-mail address to my address book, white list or approved senders list so that the response to my inquiry can get through any spam blocking software my ISP, online service or that I may have in place. I understand that if I don’t make this effort, the response to my request or subscription may not make it to my inbox.
10. I will make a point of understanding each online service or Web site I choose to use by reading their Frequently Asked Questions, Terms of Service and Help area. I understand that I need to eliminate my actions or lack thereof first as a possible cause of a perceived problem before pointing fingers at others and sending e-mails that require someone’s time to respond.

    If in fact something does appear amiss, e-mailing with courtesy and asking for assistance in resolving my difficulties rather than making blunt demands or accusations based on my assumptions alone is a wise approach. Using this methodology will cinch a speedy response. In addition, you just never know who can be your next customer!

There you have it! Your Ten Business E-mail Etiquette New Year’s Resolutions to work on for the year ahead. Remember, your business e-mail activity is all about forming relationships and “communicating with the knowledge, understanding and courtesy” necessary to relay what a joy you will be like to do business with. Use this knowledge to your advantage!

Wishing you all a prosperous New Year!

Author:
Judith Kallos: WordPress Consultant and Producer of
the Business E-mail Etiquette Blog