EMAIL MESSAGES ARE A COMMON ELEMENT
OF PROFESSIONAL WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION.
EMAIL CREATES MORE EFFICIENT COMMUNICATION
WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION
AND WITH INDIVIDUALS OUTSIDE OF THE ORGANIZATION.
PROPER USE OF EMAIL HAS BECOME AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS SKILL.
IT'S LIKELY YOU WILL USE EMAIL
TO COMMUNICATE WITH OTHERS
INCLUDING YOUR BOSS, COLLEAGUES,
CLIENTS OR PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYERS.
BECAUSE YOUR CORRESPONDENCE REFLECTS YOU,
BE AWARE OF AND PRACTICE BASIC EMAIL ETIQUETTE.
ONLY SEND YOUR MAIL TO INVOLVED PARTIES.
COPY OR CC THE MESSAGE ONLY TO INDIVIDUALS
WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE INFORMATION PRESENTED.
BLIND COPY OR THE BCC SHOULD ONLY BE USED
IN RARE CIRCUMSTANCES,
SUCH AS, IF THE INFORMATION INVOLVES LEGAL IMPLICATIONS.
SINCE MAIL-ALLS ARE USUALLY SENT TO ALL EMPLOYEES IN A COMPANY,
ONLY USE WHEN EVERY EMPLOYEE NEEDS TO KNOW
COMPANY OR DEPARTMENT INFORMATION.
AFTER YOU HAVE DETERMINED WHO WILL RECEIVE YOUR MESSAGE,
INSERT AN IDENTIFIABLE SUBJECT IN THE SUBJECT LINE
SO THE RECEIVER KNOWS WHAT THE EMAIL IS REGARDING.
THE SUBJECT LINE SHOULD CLEARLY STATE THE PURPOSE OF THE EMAIL
AND FOLLOW THE SAME FORMATTING RULES
AS THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE MEMO.
INITIAL CAP EACH WORD.
DO NOT USE "HI" OR "HELLO" AS THE SUBJECT.
BECAUSE OF THE SPREAD OF COMPUTER VIRUSES,
IT IS INAPPROPRIATE TO USE THE WORDS
"URGENT," "IMPORTANT," OR "TEST" AS A SUBJECT LINE.
WRITE YOUR MESSAGE IN A FACTUAL AND BRIEF MANNER
RELATED TO THE TOPIC IN YOUR SUBJECT LINE,
SO THE RECIPIENT KNOWS
WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO DO WITH THE INFORMATION.
USE PROPER SPELLING AND GRAMMAR.
EVEN IF ONLY ATTACHING A FILE,
INCLUDE A BRIEF STATEMENT REFERRING TO THE ATTACHMENT.
DO NOT LEAVE THE MESSAGE EMPTY.
IF YOU HAVE NOT CREATED
A PROFESSIONAL AUTOMATIC SIGNATURE,
ADD YOUR NAME AT THE END OF THE MESSAGE.
WHEN COMPOSING OR RESPONDING TO BUSINESS RELATED EMAILS,
KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL.
EMOTICONS, SUCH AS HAPPY FACES EMBEDDED IN EMAIL MESSAGES,
ARE NOT APPROPRIATE.
SHORTHAND, SUCH AS C U L8R, MIGHT BE USEFUL
WHEN YOU'RE TEXTING YOUR FRIENDS
BUT HAS NO PLACE IN BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT.
WHEN YOU ARE DONE COMPOSING,
REVIEW YOUR MESSAGE TO ENSURE IT IS ACCURATE,
POSITIVE AND FACTUAL.
SPELL-CHECK AND PROOFREAD ALL MESSAGES PRIOR TO SENDING.
ALSO, RE-READ AND THINK ABOUT THE MESSAGE
BEFORE YOU SEND YOUR MESSAGE
TO ENSURE THAT IT CANNOT BE INTERPRETED IMPROPERLY.
HERE ARE A FEW RULES TO REMEMBER
REGARDING BUSINESS EMAIL ETIQUETTE.
AS WITH THE USE OF ALL WORKPLACE EQUIPMENT,
EMAIL SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR BUSINESS PURPOSES.
IF YOU RECEIVE A WORK-RELATED MESSAGE THAT REQUIRES A REPLY,
RESPOND TO THE MESSAGE.
IGNORING A MESSAGE IS RUDE.
IT COMMUNICATES TO THE SENDER THAT YOU DO NOT CARE.
DO NOT WRITE OR SEND MESSAGES WHEN YOU ARE ANGRY.
DO NOT FORWARD MESSAGES
THAT DO NOT INVOLVE WORK-RELATED ISSUES,
INCLUDING PERSONAL OR CHAIN EMAILS.
DO NOT SEND EMAIL MESSAGES WITH LARGE AND COLORFUL LETTERS
OR ALL CAPITAL LETTERS.
THIS IS INTERPRETED AS YELLING AND IS CONSIDERED RUDE.
ROUTINELY CLEAN AND EMPTY YOUR EMAIL BOX.
MAINTAIN AND ORGANIZE AN UPDATED
ELECTRONIC ADDRESS BOOK AND FOLDERS.
MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO PRESERVE CONFIDENTIALITY.
PRACTICING EMAIL ETIQUETTE WILL GREATLY CONTRIBUTE
TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL IMAGE,
IMPROVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION AND PERSONAL SUCCESS.