Email Etiquette

Do’s & don’ts

To send or not to

send…

To email or not to email?Are you…informing?

Are you requesting action?

Who should receive the message?– Use specific and correct distribution lists– Maintain updated address books

Pick up the phone!

Better yet-have a face to face conversation!

Do’s

• Use business email for business• Think before you write: “engage your brain

before your fingers”• Re-read messages before you send them for

clarity and “correctness” – “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”

• Compress large files before sending as an attachment

• Know your audience

Do’s

• Put attachments on before you start writing your message = decrease in multiple emails.

• Note in the first sentence that there is/are attachments.

• Use specific subject lines-avoid vagueness!

Don’tsEmoticons : (

Be careful with texting-type of lingo/abbreviations: – “ Meet @ mkt 4 drinks?”. “Can u b here 4 mtg?”– LOL, BTW,

ALL CAPITALS = SHOUTING!all lowercase = laziness (as i perceive it)Be gentle with “reply to all”

Don’ts

• Office gossip• Forwarding biased or off-color jokes• Omitting a closing signature• General, non-specific responses or one-liners:– “I’ll be there!”– “You’re right.”

• Disseminating confidential information• Use “blind copy” sparingly

What’s wrong with this email and how would you change it?

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!!

Flame e-mail: emails meant to “attack” or vent.

True or False?

Emails are legal documents and can be used in a court-of-law?

Works Referenced

• The Business Writer’s Companion, 4th ed. (2005) by Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu.

• Business Communication with Writing Improvement Exercises, 6th ed (2000-2001) by Hemphill, McCormick, and Hemphill.