Email Etiquette

Statista reports that in 2020, there were over 4 billion email accounts in the world. Multiple tech sources report that the average worker sends and receives ~121 emails a day and that a manager is at ~300 emails per day. That’s a lot of email! As email has become a primary mode of workplace communication, it is critical that we properly write our emails.

IMPORTANCE OF A “PROPER” EMAIL

Each email’s purpose may be different (transmitting information, provides direction, summarizes meetings, says “thank you,”…), but it is always a representation of ourselves and our company. Therefore, writing a proper email is critical in workplace communication.

BEGINNING AN EMAIL

GREETING

Address who you are writing to with a formal greeting – always address who needs to take action. Some people like to copy 20 people on an email when only one person needs to take action, and the other 19 needed an FYI only. Say, “Good morning <<insert name>>” or “Good afternoon <<insert name>>” or “Hello <<insert name>>”… Don’t say “hey” or use other slang terms.

EMAIL ADDRESSES

Ensure you are using the correct email address. At work, we should use proper work email addresses and not personal email addresses. Using a personal email address opens up the data being transmitted to greater security risk than using a company email address (although always still at risk).

Put the person / people who need to take action in the “To” field and everyone who needs an FYI in the “cc” field. Be careful using “bcc” because once someone knows you “bcc” people, they will be leery of your emails. Also, when you “bcc” someone, they might not notice and they might hit “reply all” – that’s never good.

SUBJECT LINE

Use a direct subject line so that your recipient(s) knows the purpose of the email and if its an email where they take action or just need to know something. If its just a need to know, then put “FYI” in the title. If you are working on a particular project, then put that in the title. Often when we are dealing with purchasing items, we put the purchase order number in the title – anything to make it easier to categorize or search later.

WRITING THE EMAIL BODY

Remember, in email communication, just like all communication, there is a “sender” and a “receiver.” However, with email, the “receiver” is not looking at you so they cannot judge your body language. To help set the correct tone and be efficient in your writing:

Choose a font that is easy to read such as Calibri or Arial or Times New Roman.
DO NOT USE ALL CAPS unless that’s part of the context of the email – all caps sends the wrong impression / tone.
Use proper punctuation – use exclamation marks sparingly and double check your punctuation. The receiver is not there with you. The use of improper punctuation can set the wrong tone in the email.
Proofread and spellcheck – have a co-worker proofread. Any and all critical emails that we send are always proofread. The proofreader is not only checking for spelling, grammar, and punctuation, but also checking for the “message” itself and tone.
Never – absolutely never – send an email when you are angry or frustrated. Once you hit send, you cannot take what you said back. Everything is traceable these days. Nothing is ever truly “deleted.”
Be direct in your writing – use clear short sentences that go directly to the point. People are so busy and don’t like a lot of “flowery” writing.
Use bulleted lists if possible to summary data.
Don’t send 20 emails in a day if you can summarize into 1 email.
Emojis can come across as unprofessional. Use them sparingly if at all.
Do not joke or use a sarcastic tone – it will take away from your message and can be offensive to others.

REPLYING TO AN EMAIL

How you reply and who you reply to can impact the tone and message of the email.

Always look at the recipient list. You may need to add someone or delete someone before you reply.
Know your audience and how they expect you to reply. Most supervisors and clients want a response to know you read and understand the message.
How you reply is important to ensure the sender knows you will take action or that you understand the message. A lot of people like to receive a return reply such as “I understand,” or “I’ll take care of that today (or whatever timeline is appropriate),” or “Please clarify as I’m not sure,” or “Thank you, we will work on it this week.” Not sending a reply can leave the sender in question of if you received the email, read the email, or just plain give a care about it.
Don’t use slang terms to reply. NEVER (yes, I used all caps on purpose) say “Got it.” Never use the word “got” or other slang terms in business writing or professional writing. An email is professional / business writing, therefore it should use proper terminology. Its just as easy to say “yes mam” or “yes sir” or “I understand”….
If the email drove up your blood pressure, again, before replying, have someone proofread it or wait a while, calm down, then re-read, re-write, and send. Again, never send an email when you are mad or frustrated.

SIGNATURE

An email signature communicates your name, address, phone, email, your company, and position. All emails should have a proper signature. Don’t put flowery things in your email signature – keep it professional and to the point.

IN CLOSING

Remember that your email is a representation of your professional self and your company. Remember that an email never goes away – maintain your, your company, and others’ privacy.