We write emails every day, it's part of our daily routine. We have developed most of our email habits ourselves over a long period of time. That's why we often don't realize we are offending others with our bad habits. "The mistakes most people make are due to ignorance," writes marketing expert Kevin Daum on Inc.com. He has compiled recommendations on how to master the basics of email etiquette. Do you really know how to write an email?
1. Reply even if you don't know the answer
This rule applies to emails asking for information on the basis of which the sender will decide what to do (e.g., Will you be in the office when I arrive at 10 a.m.?). Even if you don't know the answer at the moment, reply saying that you don't know now, but you will let them know, and give them a timeframe. The sender will not be waiting, wondering whether you have read his message.
2. Change subjects
When there are more people involved in email discussions, or if several problems are being discussed at once, the original subject of the email often becomes irrelevant. When this happens, change the subject line to match the current topic being discussed. It will help you find and filter your messages more easily in the future. It could be a problem to search for an old email about an important project, when it is hidden under the subject of the original message, about a completely different topic.
3. Read the entire email, including the subject
More advanced users commonly write important information, such as the location and time of meetings directly in subject lines of their emails. Less experienced users, however, don't read subject lines properly, and then write useless messages asking when and where meetings are going to take place. Another common mistake is only reading the first sentence or the first paragraph of an email. You can't automatically assume that all the information is contained in the first part of the email.
4. Answer all questions in the email
If you get a message containing more than one issue, do not address only one of them in your reply. Find enough time to answer all the questions. As a result, you will save your own time, as well as the time of all the other recipients. However, always keep to the rule of replying briefly and clearly. If the problem you want to solve requires a longer conversation, pick up the phone or call a meeting.
5. Learn to use copies properly
In general, email copies (Cc) should only be sent to those who really care. If you are sending an email to many recipients, use blind copies (Bcc) instead, and protect their privacy. Even blind copies should only be sent when it is really necessary. For example, imagine someone sends you a contact to another person so that you can arrange a meeting with that person. It is not necessary to send blind copies of your further emails to the original provider of the contact. If you yourself get an email labelled as a Bcc, never reply to this message. A blind copy is not a call to participate in a conversation, it only has an informative function.
6. Do not include attachments in email signatures
Email signatures can be a powerful marketing tool. You can use it to share a short text information about yourself or a link to your website. However, avoid directly attaching images or even videos. Not only you will slow down the whole process of communication, but also the breakdown of the graphics in your message in different email clients. It's simply annoying and you should use hyperlinks.
What other rules of email etiquette would you add based on your own experiences?
-kk-