Business Email Etiquette: Quick Tips – a Guest Post by Jessica Weiner
Posted Under: Email Etiquette,Email Productivity Tips and Solutions
What to you think of Jessica’s tips?
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If there is one golden rule for writing business emails, it is this: do not write anything that you would not write in a paper letter. Approach your professional email correspondence with the same mindset you would have for hard-copy letters. Here are a few more specific tips.
• Stick with a simple, easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman, and always use black as the text’s color.
• In the salutation, there is no reason to stray from the classic “Dear Mr./Ms. _________” form, at least for initial contacts. Of course, if the recipient has invited you to use his or her first name, you should do so—but never assume otherwise.
• In the body of the letter, use simple, direct and polite phrasing, accompanied by proper spelling and grammar. Take advantage of spell-check programs. Avoid writing in all capital letters, which comes across as shrill, or all lower-case letters, which seems juvenile.
• Do not send large, unsolicited attachments. Instead, make an initial inquiry asking permission to do so.
• Conclude your letter with some variant of “Sincerely,” and always remember to include your own name afterwards. Beneath your name, you can add the elements you would include in a business letterhead, such as your company’s website or other contact information; just do not overdo it by creating a signature of more than about five lines.
• Even though email is sometimes called “instant communication,” you should give your recipient a reasonable window of time to respond to your email. For your part, always respond to others as promptly as you can.
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Reader Comments
“no reason to stray from the classic “Dear Mr./Ms. _________” form”
I feel like my email is naked if I don’t use whoever I am responding to’s name at the start of my email copy. Part of winning friends & influencing people. People like their name. Mr. or Ms. is too formal for me. I like to use a first name for familiarity.
Always great advice, thanks for sharing.