Dos and Donts of Business Email
With a simple press of the send button, it is fast and easy to distribute email to hundreds of your fellow co-workers. In fact, email has replaced printed interoffice memos as the primary means of internal business communication. You can use email for many communication purposes - to inform, entertain, question or impress. However, in many cases and with the same email, you can just as easily misdirect, offend and alienate your friends and fellow employees.Because email is so easy and it is relatively quick to create a message, many employees forget that email is official business communication and use short cuts that are not acceptable in a business setting. Using the helpful do's and don'ts below, you can make sure you know the etiquette of everyday email use in a business setting before you press that send button.Do not use unknown lingo and acronyms. Some companies have a corporate culture that encourages the use of acronyms or corporate lingo for every day items. However, many people, including the employees, do not understand the meaning of those acronyms or words, so use of them in an email may cause confusion. Make sure that you clearly define any acronyms used in the first part of your email so that others clearly understand your meaning.Do not use reply to all for every response on every email. In certain cases, reply to all is the appropriate means to respond to information in an email. However, in most cases, your response needs to be targeted to just a few individuals on the distribution list. Use your judgment before you reply to all and determine the actual people who need to read your response. By doing this, you demonstrate sound judgment and communication skills, as you are not filling others' inboxes with emails that they do not need.Do not blind copy (bcc) indiscriminately. Sometimes, blind copies are an appropriate means to communicate to higher ups, especially if there are human resource issues that are not being addressed. However, in most cases, employees use blind copy to either show up another or to denigrate someone else's work. While you may think you are being secretive, in my experience, everyone seems to know when you blind copied the boss. You will be seen as more professional if you address the situation head on and in a factual, non-emotional manner with the person directly.Do use spell check and grammar check before you press the send button. Many business emails contain spelling and grammatical mistakes as the writer is in a hurry to send the email message. These grammatical and spelling errors make the sender look unprofessional and may hurt your career. Most email software programs contain spell check and grammar check so you should use them consistently before any email is sent.Do keep email professional. Although email is fast and easy, always remember that it is business communication, an electronic version of mail. It is official, and in some cases, can be used in court against you or your company. Assume that every email that your write is read by someone else and that it is a reflection on you and your professionalism. If you follow that rule, you should stay out of trouble.Do keep email threads concise. Having to sort thru to a response on email #1 of #50 will annoy the reader. Remember that as the writer, it is your responsibility to communicate clearly to the audience, know your audience, and make it easy for your audience to understand your message.Bottom line, email is an electronic version of mail and has replaced snail mail and printed interoffice memos as the means to communicate in an office setting. Using email wisely will help your career. Misusing it can harm your career. You should treat email communications respectfully in all business situations.
With a simple press of the send button, it is fast and easy to distribute email to hundreds of your fellow co-workers. In fact, email has replaced printed interoffice memos as the primary means of internal business communication. You can use email for many communication purposes - to inform, entertain, question or impress. However, in many cases and with the same email, you can just as easily misdirect, offend and alienate your friends and fellow employees.
Because email is so easy and it is relatively quick to create a message, many employees forget that email is official business communication and use short cuts that are not acceptable in a business setting. Using the helpful do's and don'ts below, you can make sure you know the etiquette of everyday email use in a business setting before you press that send button.
Do not use unknown lingo and acronyms. Some companies have a corporate culture that encourages the use of acronyms or corporate lingo for every day items. However, many people, including the employees, do not understand the meaning of those acronyms or words, so use of them in an email may cause confusion. Make sure that you clearly define any acronyms used in the first part of your email so that others clearly understand your meaning.
Do not use reply to all for every response on every email. In certain cases, reply to all is the appropriate means to respond to information in an email. However, in most cases, your response needs to be targeted to just a few individuals on the distribution list. Use your judgment before you reply to all and determine the actual people who need to read your response. By doing this, you demonstrate sound judgment and communication skills, as you are not filling others' inboxes with emails that they do not need.
Do not blind copy (bcc) indiscriminately. Sometimes, blind copies are an appropriate means to communicate to higher ups, especially if there are human resource issues that are not being addressed. However, in most cases, employees use blind copy to either show up another or to denigrate someone else's work. While you may think you are being secretive, in my experience, everyone seems to know when you blind copied the boss. You will be seen as more professional if you address the situation head on and in a factual, non-emotional manner with the person directly.
Do use spell check and grammar check before you press the send button. Many business emails contain spelling and grammatical mistakes as the writer is in a hurry to send the email message. These grammatical and spelling errors make the sender look unprofessional and may hurt your career. Most email software programs contain spell check and grammar check so you should use them consistently before any email is sent.
Do keep email professional. Although email is fast and easy, always remember that it is business communication, an electronic version of mail. It is official, and in some cases, can be used in court against you or your company. Assume that every email that your write is read by someone else and that it is a reflection on you and your professionalism. If you follow that rule, you should stay out of trouble.
Do keep email threads concise. Having to sort thru to a response on email #1 of #50 will annoy the reader. Remember that as the writer, it is your responsibility to communicate clearly to the audience, know your audience, and make it easy for your audience to understand your message.
Bottom line, email is an electronic version of mail and has replaced snail mail and printed interoffice memos as the means to communicate in an office setting. Using email wisely will help your career. Misusing it can harm your career. You should treat email communications respectfully in all business situations.
