E-mail Etiquette
Electronic mail is a means of communication with people. It is nothing but the set of rules to be followed during email communication. It is also the cheapest and one of the fastest ways of communication. This should be mainly followed in companies both by employers and employees to protect the company from awkward liability issues. However, just as in other forms of communication, some basic etiquette must be followed.
Email etiquette offers some guidelines that all writers can use to facilitate better communication between themselves and their readers. For instance, if you ask for something in your e-mail, you should say ‘please’. Similarly, if someone does something for you, do reply and say ‘thank you’. Moreover, include enough information in your mail if you send in a question to which you expect an answer.
It cannot replace personal contact. After sending an e-mail, do not expect an immediate answer. Very often, we have to wait for a while before receiving a reply. Just because you do not get an answer from someone in ten minutes, it does not mean that the person is ignoring you. So there is no cause for offense Never send another e-mail to tell the person off.
Some of the etiquette rules to be followed while sending emails are listed below:
- Use good language having proper grammar, spelling and required symbols.
- Answer for the emails very quickly without delay.
- Don’t write the email in full capitals, so that this will sometimes irritate the recipient.
- Give cc: only to the people who know why they are receiving that email.
- Read your email fully before sending it to the recipient, to avoid mistakes.
- Don’t use expressions like smiley in official mail or mails sent to the clients.
- Give meaningful subject that is easily understood by the recipient.
- Use bold and italics for important points.
Politeness, courtesy, mutual respect, and common sense go a long way in email etiquette. When composing an e-mail message, make sure you read it over before sending it. Spending time on making your e-mail clearer is time well spent and worth your effort. If the sentences are unclear or ambiguous, you have to take some time to rephrase to make them clearer. Be polite and professional. Avoid sloppy or informal greetings.
Lastly, always use a signature for your mail. The signature identifies who you are. You do not want the receiver to wonder who has sent the mail. By observing these rules, your e-mail is likely to be well received. The most important email etiquette rule, other than showing respect and common sense, is to think, check, and think again before sending out an important email. The outcome is that you will receive courteous and satisfactory pleasant e-mail too.
