Professional Email Etiquette

0 Comments May 1, 2008

First impressions really stick. What if an email is your first impression? Who you are writing to? Often the email is your first contact. Is the email going to a company offering services to you, perhaps it is a mentor, or even a possible employer. In these cases, you will not have the opportunity to initially be “judged” by your timing, appearance, and body language, thus it is important to understand the very basics of writing an email.

Scott and I are inundated with emails ever singe day; I think most of us probably are in this day in age. I can honestly say Scott and I are extremely faithful in responding to each and everyone of our client’s requests, questions, and concerns in an extremely professional manner. However, in my experience so far, the particularly “poorly written” and often humorous emails we receive are usually generated by our potential Bounty Hunting and Bail Enforcement students. Mind you these clients are generally contacting us for more information on our products and services, but some of them write to Scott for advice, mentoring, and guidance. You would not believe the unprofessional way some of these emails are written…grammatical errors, spelling, questioning things that should be researched by the writer first, the list goes on and on.

I believe some of us get too comfortable in email, take advantage, you know? So before I jump off my soapbox, I want to share with you that you will get much better results if you just take the time to write a nice, professional email…

Here are some great tips for writing a professional and effective email:

Convey a meaningful subject line. This is generally what your recipient reads first. Don’t “yell” so to speak (exclamation marks, not necessary), don’t make demands, and don’t be vague either. You can make your subject line meaningful and informative by simply writing the focal point of what is important. As a recipient of many daily emails, I have to prioritize my day, and I often do that by the tasks at hand in my email inbox. All of my email is important to me. Keep in mind when emailing someone that your message is not the only one in your recipient’s email inbox.
Don’s assume the identity of the reader. Don’t assume you are talking to a male counterpart. It is 2008 people! Women are part of our major corporations and own them as well. Instead use: “To whom it may concern” or “Sir/Madam”.
Keep your message clear and readable. Often recipients only read halfway through a long message, hit “reply” as soon as they have something to contribute, and forget to keep reading. If your e-mail contains multiple messages that are only loosely related, in order to avoid the risk that your reader will reply only to the first item that grabs his or her fancy, you could number your points to ensure they are all read (adding an introductory line that states how many parts there are to the message). If the points are substantial enough, split them up into separate messages so your recipient can delete, respond, file, or forward each item individually. Keep your message readable. Use standard capitalization and spelling, especially when your message asks your recipient to do work for you. Be professional and don’t use cute abbreviations, there comes a time when the sweetness of the gesture isn’t enough. i dont think u want ur prof r ur boss 2 think u cant typ and don’t use LOL in a professional email.
Use proper formatting. Avoid fancy typefaces. Don’t depend upon bold font or large size to add nuances — many people’s e-mail readers only display plain text. In a pinch, use asterisks to show *emphasis*.
Don’t yell! It is just a fact that typing in all-caps in email means shouting…I did not make the rules. Regardless of your intention, people will react as if you meant to be aggressive.
Avoid attachments. I know sometimes they are necessary. Attachments are increasingly dangerous carriers of viruses, take time to download, take up needless space on your recipient’s computer, and don’t always translate correctly
Identify yourself clearly. Include a signature line with your name, occupation, and any other important identification information.
Don’t burn your bridges. If you find yourself writing in anger, take a break. Take some time to cool off before you hit “send.” Don’t send a nasty email without weighing the consequences.
Proofread. If you are asking someone else to do work for you, take the time to make your message look professional. The automatic spell checker won’t catch every mistake. If you are sending a message that will be read by someone higher up on the chain of command, or if you’re about to mass-mail dozens or thousands of people, take an extra minute or two before you hit “send”. Show a draft to a close associate, in order to see whether it actually makes sense.
Never assume privacy. Rule of thumb…praise in public, and criticize in private. Don’t send anything over e-mail that you wouldn’t want posted in public — particularly with your name attached.
Distinguish between formal and informal situations. When you are writing to a friend or a close colleague, it is OK to use “smilies” , abbreviations (LOL for “laughing out loud,” etc.) and nonstandard punctuation and spelling (like that found in instant messaging or chat rooms). These linguistic shortcuts are generally signs of friendly intimacy, like sharing a cold pitcher of beer with a friend. But do not use informal language when your reader expects a more formal approach. Always know the situation, and write accordingly.
Respond Promptly. If you want to appear professional and courteous you have to make yourself available to your online correspondents. Even if your reply is, “I’m out of the office right now” at least your correspondent won’t be waiting in vain for your reply.
Show Respect and Restraint. While most people know that e-mail is not private; it is good form to ask the sender before forwarding a personal message. If someone e-mails you a request, it is perfectly acceptable to forward the request to a person who can help — but forwarding a message in order to ridicule the sender is tacky.
Use BCC instead of CC when sending sensitive information to large groups. The name of everyone in the CC list goes out with the message, but the names of people on the BCC list (“blind carbon copy”) are hidden. Put your own name in the “To” box if your mail editor doesn’t like the blank space.
Finally, be tolerant of other people’s email etiquette blunders. If you think you’ve been insulted, quote the line back to your sender and add a neutral comment such as, “I’m not sure how to interpret this… could you elaborate?”