Email Etiquette at Work

Before we go on to tell you some of the key points that make up good email etiquette, it is imperative for you to know why it is important in the first place. One of the main reasons is that a well-drafted email puts forward a professional image. It is also more effective at ensuring that the person reading it understands what you are trying to tell him/her.

Properly drafted emails ensure that you are not liable for something that has been misinterpreted by the recipient of the email.

It is important to keep in mind certain points before you send out an email to a colleague or to your boss. After all, you do not want to be made out someone who does not pay attention to proper drafting of emails, and is sloppy and unprofessional in his ways.

• Ensure that the subject line of your email explains the purpose of communication in a concise and brief manner. You would not want someone to ignore the mail because of incorrect details in the subject line. Proper drafting of the subject also ensures that your mail receives the attention of the recipient on time.

• While drafting professional emails, one of the most important things to keep in mind is to maintain brevity. With everyone running around to get their work done on time, it is of prime importance that you manage to put forward your message in the most concise manner.

• Another important rule at work that you must follow is to never type in capital letters. This only makes it seem like you are screaming for attention.

• When you are sending out an email to a large number of people, cc is not as favorable as the bcc option. This is because many people do not like to share their email address with strangers. If you do otherwise, it could be considered an invasion of privacy.

• Avoid sending chain mail, forwards, or any other such mail to colleagues, especially from your work ID. Also, avoid the use of emoticons and smileys while sending a professional email. It reflects very badly on you, and makes you seem immature and childish.

• Another important part of etiquette is to ask for permission before you forward a colleague's email ID to another person for correspondence. Regardless of the kind of relationship you share with the person whose ID you are forwarding, this is one of the worst violations of email etiquette. Examples of such email transgressions are many.

• Avoid sending personal emails from your work account. Remember that even if you delete the mail, there are chances that the system administrator can retrieve them.

• One of the most important business email etiquette to follow is to reply to emails as soon as possible. If you are unable to respond to the sender with all the details he/she needs, inform him/her that you will reply as soon as you have time.

Another point that you should remember is to always proofread the email before you send it out for any grammatical, spelling, or content errors. There are many companies who have email etiquette training as a part of their training programs at workplaces now.

As long as you follow these tips, you can rest assured that you will not be labeled unprofessional, at least for badly drafted emails.