Online Class: Writing Effective Emails in the Workplace

The great thing about email is that it is quick and easy. The bad thing about email is that you cannot take back a message once it has been sent. Therefore, before you hit the send button on any email, it is important to follow some tried and true principles of good etiquette. 

Here are our top 20 important rules for email etiquette.

1. First things last. Have you ever hit "send" before you proofread your message and lived to regret it? We all have. You can avoid this potentially embarrassing situation by waiting to type in your recipient's address until you have finished the message. While you're at it, double check that the address is correct before hitting "send." It is easy to select the wrong name from your contact list. Never guess at the spelling of someone's name. You could be just one letter off and end up sending the email to the wrong person.

2.  Include a brief yet clear subject line. With all the messages coming into our inboxes each day, we want to be able to tell quickly which ones to open and which ones to delete. You boost your chances of your message being read by including a direct subject line in all your business correspondence.

Use as few words as possible to convey your point with the range of three to seven words being optimum. Examples include "New meeting schedule," "Follow-up to your proposal" and "Third quarter marketing results." When you use a phrase that lets your reader know your message is important, you show them that you value their time and that you are addressing their business interests. If you are responding to an email with a blank subject, line, go ahead and fill an appropriate one in.

3. Use a professional email address. Your email address reflects much about the sender. If your business email address has a nickname or a cutesy phrase that would be better for a pre-teen, your recipients may have a hard time taking you seriously.

Create an email address that includes your name so that your recipients know at a glance who is writing to them. 

4. Use a professional salutation. A professional email should include a professional greeting that is based upon how well you know that individual. Avoid shortening a first name (from David to Dave or Patricia to Pat) unless you are sure the recipient goes by that shortened version.

Use the word "Dear" or "Hello" followed by the person's name, but avoid the overly informal "Hey." In America, we are accustomed to hearing our first names, but it is always appropriate to Use "Mr." or "Ms." followed by the individual's last name as a sign of respect, especially when communicating with someone you do not know.

If the email is going to a large group or if you don't know the name of the person you are addressing, use a polite, yet generic, opener. "To whom it may concern" or "Dear Sir or Madame" are tried and true stand-bys for business correspondence, but they can sound a little stuffy. You could try "Hello," "Good day" or "Greetings" as salutations to unknown individuals. Other options for group emails are "Hello everyone" or "Dear board members."

6. Do not write about anything you would not want shared with others. Don't be fooled. There is no such thing as a private email. The fact is that any email can be forwarded and shared with many people. Make it a rule of thumb that you do not send any work-related email that you would not feel comfortable being posted on an office bulletin board. Another way to look at it is not to write anything in an email that you would not hesitate to say to a person's face.

7. If you are angry, wait to send that email. Here's where the accessibility and speed of the technology can get you in big trouble. If you are upset with your boss or with one of your employees, take the time to cool off before you fire off an angry message.

By the same token, do not disparage your colleagues in an email to someone else in the office. Angry emails can take on a life of their own.

8. Watch overuse of exclamation points and ditch the emoticons. Exclamation points should be used sparingly or else your messages can come across as immature or even worse, as angry. Save the smiley faces for your social media posts with friends. They are not professional. Period.

9. Limit all caps. Use your words to emphasize your points rather than using all capital letters. USING ALL CAPS CAN MAKE IT SEEM AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. No one wants to be shouted at.

10. Do not share confidential information. Be very careful in sending (or forwarding) sensitive business information. Refrain from sending information that could put someone's identity at risk such as social security numbers of tax information. Be wary of emailing private financial information that could be damaging if it got into the wrong hands.

11. Avoid jargon and be careful with humor. Text-friendly phrases such as "Gr8" and "4U" have no place in business correspondence. They make you look childish. One of the pitfalls of communicating by email is that your reader cannot see your eyes, gestures or facial expressions or hear the tone in your voice. Therefore, your tone can be misinterpreted. As a result, it is a good idea to be very cautious with humor, sarcasm and with slang terms. You don't what to come off as rude or offensive in any way.

12. Get back to people. Don't feel you have to respond to an email immediately. In fact, time management experts agree that checking your email constantly can be a real time waster. One option is to check your inbox three times a day--first thing in the morning, just before or after lunch and just before you leave for the day.

It is important than you get back with your senders in a timely fashion, however. Unless you are dealing with an emergency, it is acceptable to respond within 24 to 48 hours or longer if a weekend is involved.

Similarly, be patient with others who do not get back to you right away.

13. Be careful with "reply all." You know how annoying it can be to get your inbox flooded with unnecessary responses. Do not hit "reply all" unless you are sure everyone needs to see your response. Most of the time, they do not.

14. Don't send an email when you need to talk in person or by phone. Emails are great, but they are not the perfect form of communication. In situations that need explaining or negotiating or just a more personal touch, there is nothing like a face-to-face meeting.

If you need to deliver bad news, an email is not the proper medium. Arrange to meet with the person or at least make a phone call.

Also, avoid using emails as a way to cancel a meeting or an interview at the last minute. There is no way to know the recipient got the message in time.

16. Protect your recipients' privacy in group emails. Many people are touchy about who gets their email addresses. To be on the safe side when messaging a large group, use the "BCC" option. BCC stands for blind carbon copy and ensures that email addresses are hidden from view. Simply type your own email address in the To: field and type your recipients'' addresses in the use BCC field.

Keep in mind that this is not a foolproof method. One of your recipients many hit "reply all" and by doing so reveal to everyone that she got the original message.

 17. Get to the point.  Business emails should be concise. After your brief introduction, you should state the purpose of your message within a sentence or two. Be clear and avoid long, drawn-out explanations. If your recipient needs more information, they can contact you.

18. Include an appropriate closing. Even though you have identified yourself in your introduction and with your email address, a polite email also includes a closing followed by your name. Professional options include "With regards," "All the best," "Looking forward to working with you" and "Many thanks."

Avoid phrase that could sound pretentious (at least for Americans) such as "Ciao!" or "Cheers!" or ones that sound overly friendly or informal such as "Hugs" or "Love."

19.   Make it easy to contact you.  Always include your full name and contact information at the end of your business emails. Your email signature is a good way to let your recipients know more about you. Include the name of your company, your title and your phone number. It's also a great place to add a link to your website and social media pages.

20. Proofread. Proofread. Proofread. Read over your emails before sending them. Do not rely on spell checkers because they don't catch many mistakes. For example, "Sorry for the inconvenience" could be auto-corrected to "Sorry for the incontinence." Try reading your message aloud to help you catch errors.

Think of your email correspondence as a reflection of you. If your emails are sloppy or sound rushed, your recipients will think you are careless in your work. If your emails are filled with errors, your readers will think that is how you conduct business.

On the other hand, if your emails are friendly, yet professional, in tone and clearly written, you will convey a sense of competence that will carry over into their dealings with you.

It may sound as if it goes without saying, but be sure to read an email that you receive carefully before replying to it. We are all busy, but you can do your reputation considerable harm by dashing off a response in haste without fully reading the original message.