Email Etiquette

Have you ever hit “send’ for an email and immediately regretted it? Most of us have! Email is such a fast medium, we often act without thinking. Here are five email etiquette tips to ensure your emails are correct and do what you need them to do.

1. After you compose or respond to an email, wait before sending. Just close the email and save it as a draft. When you have 10 draft emails, review them one last time before sending.
2. Always use a greeting. If you know the person, just say, “Hi” and their first name. “Hi, Madison.” If you don’t know them or if you want a formal tone, use their title and last name: “Dear Miss Keller” or their full name if you don’t know the gender: “Dear Madison Keller.”
3. Proofread! It’s easy to assume your email is free of errors, but you would be surprised how often they slip through. Take a few seconds to read the email slowly, looking for and correcting errors.
4. Use a signature that includes your name, title, and contact information. If your manager or department doesn’t want you to use your name, at least include contact information for questions or follow-up.
5. Never write in ALL CAPS since it is considered rude and is a major faux pasin email etiquette.

Need more help with email? Check out my program Writing and Managing Email for more information.