by Samuel Gitukui
Every one of us especially in the corporate world receives a sheer number of emails every day. It is a common way of communication and may people will spend a considerable amount of their time in the office reading and replying to emails.
But the high number of emails that require your attention has caused many to lack a good understanding of how to make proper replies. It’s absolutely paramount that you use a professional tone when replaying to emails.
Here are some of the email etiquette rules to always follow when writing your emails.
1. Use the right subject line
The subject line is the first thing people look at when they get your email and it follows then that it should be clear, concise and direct. For example, if you are changing the date for a meeting, you can write, “Changed Meeting Date”.
In fact, people will decide whether to read the email based on the subject line alone.
2. Make sure that your email address is professional
One of the things that you need to ensure is that your email address appears professional. If you are working for a particular company then you need to use the company’s email address.
On the other hand, if you are self-employed, you can use your email address but always make sure it is professional. You don’t want to be sending emails with an address that looks like beerlover@, or babyboy@...
3. Salutations should be professional
Many people often use the wrong salutations when writing business emails. It is certainly not correct thing to do to use salutations such a “Yo”, “Hey you guys” or “what’s up guys”. Instead use more professional salutations such as Hi or Hello.
Another thing to always keep in mind is to never shorten the name of the recipient. For example, if you are sending an email to Michael, it’s improper to say, “hi Mike”.
4. Don’t over use exclamation marks
Yet another thing to always note is when using exclamation marks. Some people may want to express their level of excitement and use a number of exclamation marks after a sentence to display their high excitement.
However, this takes away the professional feel and tone of the email. Just one exclamation mark is enough.
5. Try and avoid humor
When writing professional emails, you want to avoid adding humor to your text as this could be interpreted the wrong way by the recipient.
And in cases where you know the recipient well, ensure that you are not doubtful as to how they will receive the humor. If you are in doubt, avoid humor even if you know the recipient well.
6. Take note of the recipient’s background and culture
The same message can be interpreted differently by people from different cultures as the communication is always different. When writing a professional email, always ensure that you are aware of the recipients’ culture and background to make sure that they do not end up being offended and that they receive the email well.
Every one of us especially in the corporate world receives a sheer number of emails every day. It is a common way of communication and may people will spend a considerable amount of their time in the office reading and replying to emails.
But the high number of emails that require your attention has caused many to lack a good understanding of how to make proper replies. It’s absolutely paramount that you use a professional tone when replaying to emails.
Here are some of the email etiquette rules to always follow when writing your emails.
1. Use the right subject line
The subject line is the first thing people look at when they get your email and it follows then that it should be clear, concise and direct. For example, if you are changing the date for a meeting, you can write, “Changed Meeting Date”.
In fact, people will decide whether to read the email based on the subject line alone.
2. Make sure that your email address is professional
One of the things that you need to ensure is that your email address appears professional. If you are working for a particular company then you need to use the company’s email address.
On the other hand, if you are self-employed, you can use your email address but always make sure it is professional. You don’t want to be sending emails with an address that looks like beerlover@, or babyboy@...
3. Salutations should be professional
Many people often use the wrong salutations when writing business emails. It is certainly not correct thing to do to use salutations such a “Yo”, “Hey you guys” or “what’s up guys”. Instead use more professional salutations such as Hi or Hello.
Another thing to always keep in mind is to never shorten the name of the recipient. For example, if you are sending an email to Michael, it’s improper to say, “hi Mike”.
4. Don’t over use exclamation marks
Yet another thing to always note is when using exclamation marks. Some people may want to express their level of excitement and use a number of exclamation marks after a sentence to display their high excitement.
However, this takes away the professional feel and tone of the email. Just one exclamation mark is enough.
5. Try and avoid humor
When writing professional emails, you want to avoid adding humor to your text as this could be interpreted the wrong way by the recipient.
And in cases where you know the recipient well, ensure that you are not doubtful as to how they will receive the humor. If you are in doubt, avoid humor even if you know the recipient well.
6. Take note of the recipient’s background and culture
The same message can be interpreted differently by people from different cultures as the communication is always different. When writing a professional email, always ensure that you are aware of the recipients’ culture and background to make sure that they do not end up being offended and that they receive the email well.
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