Email Etiquette is important.
Email etiquette eliminates email errors! Think about how many emails you send a week. A lot huh? These days it takes minutes to shoot out an email on your phone from virtually anywhere. Communication at our fingertips is such a normal thing now, but are you aware of your email habits? We have all received an email and had to read it twice just to understand what the sender ACTUALLY meant by that comment.
Time for a check up on email etiquette.
First things first, check your address.
Your email address should be professional and include your name. That email you made when you were 15 (we’re looking at you soccerluvr10) is no longer acceptable. Create a free gmail account here, and don’t forget to create an address block. This goes at the bottom of all your emails and is essentially the information you would hand out on a business card.
Next up is the subject line.
Always include a subject in your email to let the recipient know the nature (and urgency) of the information. This will help you stay organized and receive timely responses. After writing a clear, concise subject line, include a professional greeting. No “sup, yo, or hay’s” allowed. Always include a greeting addressed to who should be reading.
Watch your tone.
As you begin to write your email make sure you keep your tone in mind. Be aware of how someone reading would perceive your message. Save your jokes and humor for a face to face convo. You don’t want something to come off wrong and be mistaken as an insult. Keep your voice kind, professional, and to the point.
Once you have your message complete, PROOFREAD!
Did you spell everyone’s name correctly, are all dates/times accurate, and did you use too many exclamation points? Are you sending it to the correct recipient? Double check spelling, punctuation, and tone. Now you’re ready to send.
