NFIB

Tips on E-mail Etiquette
08/ 22/ 2002

by Vicki Gerson

Email is the quickest form of business communication, but it can get you in trouble. Most people think it's a snap to quickly crank out an email, but too many business owners and sales managers send messages that are confusing, unprofessional or inappropriate.

If you want to continue doing business with your current customers and present the right image to potential customers, think about what you're sending before you send it. Here are some suggestions to consider.

Don't forget to proofread.

Never send an email message without proofreading it. Use spell check and grammar check. For very important email messages, print a hard copy and read over it again yourself or ask someone else to take a look.

One of the worst things you can do is misspell your contact’s name. Check and recheck to make sure you have the correct spelling, title and courtesy title (Mr., Mrs., Ms.)

Don't ignore punctuation or capitalization.

Sending messages with run-on sentences and no capitalization is very unprofessional. Although email is less formal than traditional mail, punctuation and capitalization is still required in business correspondence.

Fill in the subject line.

Think of all the emails you receive in a day. Many busy people just delete messages one right after the other before they are even opened. Have a concise subject line that means something to the person receiving the message. For example, "Following up yesterday's meeting," or "The bid you requested from Bob."

Ask if your customer even wants you to send email.

Some of your customers may prefer another method of communication. It's always wise to ask if they prefer faxes or telephone calls.

Avoid attaching files.

Because there are so many computer viruses out there, some of your customers may never want an attachment. Copy and paste all the information into the body of the email message.

Don't overwhelm your customers with email.

There may be many people at a particular company you do business with, but all of them don't need to have every email message you send. Don't hit "reply all" unless it's necessary that everyone on your list see the message.

Don't send jokes.

Jokes are fine among friends. But many companies watch their employees’ email and know who’s receiving off-color jokes. Regardless of how informal your relationship is with a particular customer or client, your actions could get them in trouble with their company. In addition, the employee who receives your joke may not have your same sense of humor and could be offended.

Like all other tools of business, email should be used thoughtfully and carefully. It can be a great way to keep in contact with your customers, distributors and business associates, but make sure you consider the proper etiquette before you hit "send."

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