Mind Your Email Manners - Tips from the etiquette expert
Email is often the first impression that others get of you. Here are some tips from the etiquette expert Jacqueline Whitmore, who has done executive coaching and leadership training programs for various Fortune 500 companies.
- Err on the side of being more formal.
- An email deserves a greeting.
- Mirror the person you are emailing.
- The rule is you should reply to an email within 24 hours. Even if you don’t have an answer for someone, reply anyway and say 'Thank you for your email—I’ll get back to you by such and such a date'.
- If you haven’t spoken to the person, it’s best to put some little nicety in the front, like ‘Happy New Year’ or ‘I hope you had a great holiday'.The safest way to sign off is ‘Best regards'
- Always keep the sentences very short
- Remember that emails can be forwarded, they can be duplicated - Keep emotions out of it, and keep it simple.
- No one can see your facial expressions or hear your tone of voice, so the only way they’re gauging your emotions is the tone that you use in that email -add words such as 'I’m happy to do it' to convey a little warmth.
- 'Text speak' is a strict don’t . Acronyms such as 'lol' don’t have a place in a business email.
- Reserve writing messages in all lowercase letters for personal emails.
- Make sure nothing is misspelled. It can reflect poorly on your company if you send a poorly composed email.
- Also, be sure to put in a clear subject line at the top—something busy professionals prize.
- A signature tag line beneath your signoff is a must
- Don’t put unnecessary things in your signature like quotes or religious sayings
http://www.wsj.com/articles/mind-your-email-manners-1429117413
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