Today,
where almost every one of us interacts virtually, writing Emails is the most extensive and exhaustive
activity we do daily. Therefore there is a need to follow some important
etiquette which can make our virtual communication
effective and impressive. Here are some Email Rules which we should
follow in our day-to-day email
communications; office or personal. We call them ‘Email
Etiquette’.
1. Format your Mail:
Stick to the most common font styles as in Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, etc. If you
wish to add color, it should not
be anything other than black, blue. Keep your mail in Left Indent format. This
is the American style and currently being followed.
2. Avoid long Sentences/Paragraphs:
Limit your sentences to a maximum of 20 words if possible.
Split your message into multiple sentences if it exceeds the limit. Avoid
extending one paragraph beyond 5 lines. Maintain a blank line between each
paragraph and keep your email structured.
3. Handling Multiple Recipients:
If you are sending a message to more than one person, it is
advisable to keep the recipients in ‘Bcc’ instead of ‘To’. This will avoid
publicizing the recipients’ email address without their explicit permission.
Also in such case, address the recipients by ‘Hi’, ‘Hello’, ‘Greetings’,
etc.
4. Handle Gender Appropriately:
If the recipient is female, address as ‘Ms. X’ (this is
irrespective of the female being married or single). If the recipients’ gender
is not known, keep your email context gender neutral.
5. Avoid Emoticons and Abbreviations:
6. Avoid using Capitals:
Do not use CAPITALS in the title and body of the email.
Capitals are regarded as being too aggressive or even offensive to the
readers.
7. Careful with Reply All:
Be very careful while ‘Replying to All’. If not necessary,
avoid ‘Reply All’ function and reply only to limited recipients. Example: If
your organization sends an email, introducing a new Recruit – no need to ‘Reply
All’ on that email. You can just send a note to the new recruit– welcoming the
employee onboard.
8. Add Signatures (for official purpose
only):
It is advisable to keep a pre-designed signature for your
outgoing mails. When composing a mail in the first place, it is advisable to use
the full signature details. While replying to mails, you can use a more concise
format. Signature should have: Your name (first and last only), Designation,
Department Name,
Organization, Name & Address, Contact details (direct or
reception or cell).
9. Add Disclaimers to the Mail:
Do add necessary disclaimers to your emails, if sending
through your official email ID. This typically comes below the signature.
10. Careful with Attachments:
If you have said ‘Please find attached’, ensure that you
attach and re-check the attached document, before sending the mail.
11. Do not Hurry Response:
Do not write a mail when you are in a hurry. If you are not
able to reply in detail, just reply as “Will get back to you soon”.
12. Answer all Questions in Mail:
Do not leave any point unanswered or unattended in your email
response. This helps in avoiding emailing back and forth for clarifications and
saves time.
13. Do not forward Chain Letters:
Have you ever received a mail asking you to forward it on to
“x” number of people in order to receive good fortune? Most of these chain
letters are hoaxes. Do not forward chain letters to others, just delete them on
receipt.
14. Avoid High Priority Option:
Do not overuse the high priority flag. If you keep marking
all your emails as ‘High Priority’, then recipients cannot differentiate between
a high priority mail vs. normal mail. Remember the story of ‘cry wolf’? It may
also come across as being too aggressive.
15. Read the Mail:
Please use the Spell check facility in your mailbox without
fail. Every email service provides this useful facility. Finally read your email
once before hitting the SEND button to check for grammar, spelling and
appropriateness of the mail religiously adhering to the above email etiquette
will surely help one to create a good & positive impression in the minds of
the readers/receiver. Happy Emailing!!
