Email etiquette rules

You use email every day and have sent countless messages to colleagues, clients and senior managers without a problem - so why start worrying about etiquette now? 'How you send business emails, as well as what you say in them, can reveal much about you professionally,' says Rob Williams, an occupational psychologist and author of !rilliant "erbal Reasoning #ests and !rilliant $umeracy #ests % '&ust because you haven't been pulled up on it before, doesn't mean you haven't unwittingly made mista'es% (eople may have felt aw'ward pointing it out or presume you're a rude person generally%' )nsure you never ma'e a fau* pas again, with our eight rules for email etiquette% 1. Never email in anger Your 'nuc'les might be white with rage, but thin' twice before you let your fingers hit the 'eyboard% '+t only ta'es a moment to fire off an irate message to a colleague or a client - but the damage could ta'e much longer to undo,' warns Rob% '+f you have a difficult email to write prepare a draft, save it and ta'e a ,--hour cooling off period before clic'ing send% .braham /incoln used to draft difficult letters and then put them in his des' drawer - sometimes 0ust putting angry thoughts to paper meant the letter never had to be sent%' 2. Make the subject line count How many times have you seen an email land in your inbo* and not had a clue what it's about? 1r loo'ed for an email and found 23 with the same sub0ect line, when the conversation had moved on, because no one thought to update it before hitting reply each time? Rob says4 'use the sub0ect line of your emails 0udiciously, always clearly stating what the message is about% )mails with vague sub0ect lines li'e hello are li'ely to languish in the recipient's in-bo*% '+t also ma'es it difficult for the recipient to retrieve the email if necessary, once they've stored it in their files% +t goes without saying, never send with a blan' sub0ect line%'

3. Don't 'cc' the world .re you in the habit of hitting reply all on every email you send? '5onsider each and every person you are copying in on a message and as' yourself4 do they really need to receive it?' as's Rob% '+t's very frustrating to be included in an email chain that is not relevant to you% .nd if you continually send emails to the widest possible audience, it may be that people ignore your ne*t message which does relate to them directly%' . Dro! the sarcasm and smile"s You never 'now how an email is going to be interpreted, so ta'e care before using humour, especially sarcasm% What you find funny, the recipient may find offensive% '#one of voice does not come across in written communication, so avoid writing anything that could be ta'en the wrong way,' warns Rob% ')moticons can help convey meaning, but they don't loo' very professional% 6miley faces don't really belong in business emails - and the same goes for te*t spea'7 6o save the /1/6 for your !88%%%' #. $ead it !ro!erl" be%ore "ou re!l" +t sounds obvious, but before you reply to an email, read it carefully% #hat way, you will avoid as'ing unnecessary questions and can answer every question put to you% '.n email reply should answer all questions, and if you can, pre-empt further ones from being as'ed,' says 5orinne 9ills, 9anaging :irector of (ersonal 5areer 9anagement% '+f you don't 'now the answer to a question, say you will get bac' with that information% +f you're able to pre-empt relevant questions sensitively ;i%e%, without seeming patronising<, your clients will be impressed with your efficiency% 'However, if it's not clear what they are as'ing for, then don't second-guess, as' for clarification% +t's often quic'er and easier to do this by pic'ing up the phone to tal' to them rather than playing email ping-pong, especially if it's a delicate or comple* issue%' &. Make it eas" to read 1thers will form an opinion about you from how you format emails, not 0ust what you say in them% Would you rather be seen as organised or rambling?

5orinne says4 '6hort paragraphs, with a blan' line between each paragraph, wor's best% When ma'ing points, number them - that way, the recipient can get bac' to you on '$o -'% '6entences should also be short, around =>-,3 words% .ny calls to action should be clearly mar'ed% 1ne caveat to that is capital letters% However tempting, don't write in capitals, it will only come across as 'shouty'% ?se bold or underline ;sparingly< for important data instead%' '. Don't mark it high !riorit"(urgent unless it is Remember the story of the boy who cried wolf? 1veruse '?rgent' or '+mportant' in your sub0ect headline and it will lose its impact when you need it% Rob says4 ')ven if a message is important, you ris' coming across as slightly aggressive if you flag it high priority % +f every other email you send is urgent , thin' about what that says about you%' ). Don't be na*ve enough to think email is !rivate 8inally, don't email anything that you wouldn't want to see pinned up on the office notice board% '/ots of employees have landed themselves in hot water for sending inappropriate emails% #hat includes criticising a client or colleague, ma'ing libellous, se*ist or racially discriminating comments or even passing on potentially offensive 0o'es,' says 5orinne% '+f someone forwards it to the wrong person you could be left more than 0ust red faced - it could be a disciplinary matter% +f you don't want the information to be read by everyone, don't send it%'