The last thing we want to do is come across as uptight, but if you see a million emails a day like we do you can’t help but want to scream! Email is a great way to communicate your message quickly, but if you don’t make time for the basics, you could end up with your foot in your mouth. Clicking the wrong recipient or leaving out a word could cause embarrassment everyone involved. We know we are all going a million miles a minute between our desktops and our laptops and from our tablets to our smart phones. But seriously, one wrong email can cost you the business.
So here are a few pointers we put together that will hopefully keep you out of the dog house.
1. Don’t get all emotional. Try to just convey ideas or factual information in your emails. Keep the heavy stuff for face-to-face meetings or phone calls.
2. The subject line is there for a reason – so use it! Summarize the message in this line so the recipient knows immediately what it is in regards to. Helps when going back and searching through emails, too.
3. Say their name, say their name. Stay away from general greetings that make the recipient feel like they are just another person on your email list.
4. Privacy rights. If you are sending to a large group, please use “blind copy”. This helps keep others private emails, well, private.
5. Don’t spread your germs. Don’t forward chain emails. Those viruses will start spreading like wildfire. Read more to figure out how to avoid spam.
6. Signed, sealed, was it delivered? Only use “delivery receipt notification” when it’s imperative that you know if the intended recipient received it. It can get super annoying for everyone involved if you abuse this feature.
7. Keep calm. All caps through your whole email can come across like you’re shouting. Unless you are prepared for the repercussions, just don’t.
8. Parting words. Don’t just rely on your automated signature line to close your e-mail. Instead, close with a few words that let your recipients know that a real person is sending them a message.
9. Read it, and then read it again. Although e-mail can be an informal way to communicate with people, make sure you use spell-check and read through your note before hitting send.
10. Expiration date. I know we all get so many emails daily. But even if you cannot yet provide an answer, replying to someone’s e-mail within a day lets the sender knows you received it.
-Courtney Summers, Marketing Director