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This of course does not apply to someone you know quite well, or informal or social emails with friends and family.
5.Emoticons and graphics ordinarily do not belong in business email. Of course if you’re sending a graph, that’s different.
6.Be concise, brief and to
point, while also mannerly. Manners are important, because things in writing are easily misunderstood.
7.Make sure your links link if you’re sending some.
8.If you send attachments, label them. This is extremely helpful to your reader. Bear in mind many people are leery these days of opening attachments and may request you send it in body of an email.
9.Boundary violations.
Don’t compromise person to whom you are emailing by writing something that would cause trouble for them. If you have negative things to say about their company or colleague, consider making a phone call. Don’t share a confidence in a business email. Many companies and firms examine employees’ emails.
Best to keep in mind there’s no such thing as ‘privacy’ on Internet.
10.Consider using a disclaimer.
This states that email was intended for party to whom it was sent, and if it goes to someone else, it should be disregarded as it is confidential.
11.Use your Emotional Intelligence.
Email gives you opportunity to stop and think before your respond, which is one of EQ competencies. Make use of this golden opportunity to not put your foot in your mouth, go off half-cocked, say something you’ll regret, be a loose cannon … all those phrases we use when someone self-sabotages because they haven’t thought it through.
All emails can wait. What a great opportunity for a change, yes?
12.Don’t “cry wolf?”
Remember that Aesop’s fable about little boy who kept crying “wolf,” and finally when one really came around, no one listened to him.
Don’t put “immediate attention” button on their unless you mean it. The first time you don’t, and send something trivial marked important, you’ll be ignored in future.
13.Expedite return of email.
Put in email, if you agree to this, just click “reply” and put “yes” for subject line. Wouldn’t you appreciate if this were done for your convenience? You or your assistant can put that on a macro. 14.Use fonts such as Times New Roman, Book Antigua, Bookman Old Style, Calisto MT or Lucida Bright.
They are seriphed. This means letters have little “feet” to them. Tests have shown this is easiest to read. I know Arial is popular.
Not all “seriphed” fonts will work – Curltz MT, Harrington and Gloucester, for instance, are difficult to read even with feet.
In sum, other people are as busy as you are and appreciate anything you do to expedite processing of their email.
Use your Emotional Intelligence to treat others way you would like to treated, and, I think that gave from another source!
©Susan Dunn, MA, The EQ Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching, distance learning courses, and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your continued personal and professional development. For free ezine, mailto:sdunn@susandunn.cc. I train and certify EQ coaches. Get in this field, dubbed “white hot” by the press, now, before it’s crowded. Start tomorrow, no residence requirement, global student body. Email for prospectus.
