Email is the form of communication that has commonly replaced traditional mail. Many today use it to pay bills, receive the flyers and specials to their favorite stores, communicate with friends and family members who live far away, and most common on a day-to-day basis – communicate professionally for business and work purposes. The convenience of sending short text messages via smart-phones has played a part in why many people forgetting to use email etiquette. Although text messaging is the fastest, most convenient way to communicate today, there are times when communicating via email is more appropriate.
I found the article, Tips for Writing Professional Email to a great brief reminder on the proper etiquette one should use when composing an email. The author Dawn Rosenburg Mckay, states the following are tips we should follow: Mind your Manners, Watch your Tone, Be Concise, Be Professional, Use Correct Spelling and Grammar, Ask Permission prior to sending an Attachment, and Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. While one can expect anyone composing an email to have common sense in knowing to spell check and read the email to ensure the message you’re trying to get across will be received, that is not always the case. I believe that all organizations should provide reminders such as those discussed within this article to their staff annually so that everyone is both aware and reminded of the importance of sending a professional, well written email.
Although I found the tips to be a good reminder, I personally do not find the tip “Always Ask for Permission before You Send an Attachment”, to be appropriate in all business environments. I send emails with attachments on a day to day basis to subcontractors whom I must request labor quotes from. It would seem a nuisance to ask each subcontractor for their permission in advance to send them the supporting attachments that they will need to review in order to quote the labor for a particular project. When requesting a quote from them, they are aware that there will be supporting documents which they must download, print and review in order to quote the project.
The tips I have most adapted to in my communications via computer are: Be Concise, and Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. Tone is very important in an email. Many times co-workers or bosses may annoy us; however, we must be mindful to watch our tone and always ensure we are professional in our email communications. There are many times that I completely re-write an email after I’ve reread it due to the fact that I noticed the tone I used is not business appropriate. This need for revision is generally due to the fact that I drafted my response to an email when in a frustrated state.
Being concise is also very important in email etiquette. Our text states, organizational participants must take care to use clear and appropriate written language for intended audiences (Kreps, 2011). Most of us receive numerous emails daily and must prioritize and sort through what is most important. For this reason it is very important that emails are very concise and to the point. If too lengthy, there is a possibility that your email will be skimmed rather than read and that important points you want to get across will be lost. McKay restated a tip by Career Planning Site visitor Larry Batchelor, Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. I find this tip to be crucial in emails containing important information or being sent to upper company executives because mistakes do happen and we can easily hit the send button in error. This happened to me once and I was fortunate enough to have been able to recall the message and review and correct my spelling errors and resend. Had I not been able to recall it, all of my typos would have been a poor reflection on my attention to detail to the Vice President of my company.
As stated above, not using proper email etiquette can reflect negatively on an individual when not properly followed. It is very important to show professionalism and use appropriate manners and tone. Many of us are now accustomed to using acronyms when sending text messages and must remind ourselves that these acronyms are not appropriate for emails. Although the end receiver of the email may know what they mean, acronyms are not professional and will give your email a very casual tone. There are rules to follow in both our personal and professional lives in order to ensure our messages and character is conveyed appropriately to those we interact with. It is very important to remind ourselves that proper etiquette must be followed in all areas whether it is written, verbally, socially or professionally.
Tips for Composing an Email
I found the article, Tips for Writing Professional Email to a great brief reminder on the proper etiquette one should use when composing an email. The author Dawn Rosenburg Mckay, states the following are tips we should follow: Mind your Manners, Watch your Tone, Be Concise, Be Professional, Use Correct Spelling and Grammar, Ask Permission prior to sending an Attachment, and Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. While one can expect anyone composing an email to have common sense in knowing to spell check and read the email to ensure the message you’re trying to get across will be received, that is not always the case. I believe that all organizations should provide reminders such as those discussed within this article to their staff annually so that everyone is both aware and reminded of the importance of sending a professional, well written email.
Although I found the tips to be a good reminder, I personally do not find the tip “Always Ask for Permission before You Send an Attachment”, to be appropriate in all business environments. I send emails with attachments on a day to day basis to subcontractors whom I must request labor quotes from. It would seem a nuisance to ask each subcontractor for their permission in advance to send them the supporting attachments that they will need to review in order to quote the labor for a particular project. When requesting a quote from them, they are aware that there will be supporting documents which they must download, print and review in order to quote the project.
Tips for I will Adapt into My Computer-Mediated Communication
The tips I have most adapted to in my communications via computer are: Be Concise, and Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. Tone is very important in an email. Many times co-workers or bosses may annoy us; however, we must be mindful to watch our tone and always ensure we are professional in our email communications. There are many times that I completely re-write an email after I’ve reread it due to the fact that I noticed the tone I used is not business appropriate. This need for revision is generally due to the fact that I drafted my response to an email when in a frustrated state.
Being concise is also very important in email etiquette. Our text states, organizational participants must take care to use clear and appropriate written language for intended audiences (Kreps, 2011). Most of us receive numerous emails daily and must prioritize and sort through what is most important. For this reason it is very important that emails are very concise and to the point. If too lengthy, there is a possibility that your email will be skimmed rather than read and that important points you want to get across will be lost. McKay restated a tip by Career Planning Site visitor Larry Batchelor, Wait to Fill In the “To” email address. I find this tip to be crucial in emails containing important information or being sent to upper company executives because mistakes do happen and we can easily hit the send button in error. This happened to me once and I was fortunate enough to have been able to recall the message and review and correct my spelling errors and resend. Had I not been able to recall it, all of my typos would have been a poor reflection on my attention to detail to the Vice President of my company.
Etiquette is a Reflection on You
As stated above, not using proper email etiquette can reflect negatively on an individual when not properly followed. It is very important to show professionalism and use appropriate manners and tone. Many of us are now accustomed to using acronyms when sending text messages and must remind ourselves that these acronyms are not appropriate for emails. Although the end receiver of the email may know what they mean, acronyms are not professional and will give your email a very casual tone. There are rules to follow in both our personal and professional lives in order to ensure our messages and character is conveyed appropriately to those we interact with. It is very important to remind ourselves that proper etiquette must be followed in all areas whether it is written, verbally, socially or professionally.
References
Kreps, G.L. (2011). Communication in Organizations. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.
McKay, D. R. (1997). Email Etiquette: Tips for professional email. About.com Guide. Retrieved from http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_tips.htm
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