[Part 1 of a 2-part series]
One of the pillars of the internet is email. It’s been with us in some form since the 1980s. I can remember getting my first hotmail account back in 1997, which felt like a move into the future of communication.
Fast forward to today, it feels like a lot of the digital world has forgotten the fundamentals of email.
Getting between 30 and 80 emails a day, I see countless crimes being committed against humanity. The thing is, if you write or encounter an improper email, it only ends up reflecting back to the original sender. If you’re the one writing, you look bad; if it’s someone sending you a sour-tasting email, you judge them.
So the team talked about it and we put together our top 8 most important tips for making sure your email is the best it can be.
1. Subject lines matter. Use and update them accordingly.
Considering that more than 50% of emails are read on cell phones, tablets and other mobile devices. Knowing that many of us see between 20-50 emails per day, it makes sense to make life easy for people. Keep subject lines easy to read and as short as possible. If you are forwarding a message from someone else, update the subject line so it includes the recipients relationship to the email content. We get into the details of writing great email subject lines here.
2. Keep a signature and email sign off, even for mobile devices.
Since people are often accessing their emails from mobile devices, signatures have become important again. Keep your number, address and even your email address in the signature. If someone forwards your email, your original email address might not show up, depending on the email client software. Keep that signature in, soldier, even for replies! I know it can look annoying, but when someone needs it, it’s there.
3. Don’t try to do in email what should be done over text message/the phone/in person.
Sometimes it’s better to just pick up the phone, or book a lunch. Other times you need to hear back in a few minutes, as opposed to two days. Use your discretion with which medium to use, but if it’s email be clear. Answer the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, why) quickly, but don’t overdo it. Keep the call to action near the top, so they know what you expect of them.
4. Email is a reflection of your personality/sense of detail/level of care/politeness/disposition…
When you hit send, the arrangement of the words matter. They matter because the way that the person feels upon reading these words is exactly how they are going to feel about you for a period after reading that email. This is why having the right tone is important. Having good grammar and limited use of capitals helps to keep your professional polish. Beware of all lowercase. It looks sloppy, like you don’t have time for details. “Every error is its own message in email.” – Me
Stay tuned for Part II of your email etiquette refresher coming later this week!
Have any thoughts on these tips? Can you think of any others? Leave a comment!
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