5 TIPS FOR EMAIL NETIQUETTE

What do you think about email? Is it a valuable tool in your toolbox? Or, is it the bane of your existence? Do you hate its pervasiveness and invasiveness? Do you like to send it, but hate to receive it?

How you feel about email has a lot to do with your age. From personal experience and informal polls, to annotated research, 30 seems to be a point on the line that distinguishes one side from another. Think of it as a continuum, with 30 being a turning point to a different way of thinking.

If you are over 30, you think of it as one tool of many available to you. The closer to 30 you are, the more likely you are to prefer it to face-to-face communication. It is less intrusive and gets things done quicker. If you are further away from 30, you find it impersonal and somewhat tricky to use. You spend more time composing your emails. If you are under 30, you probably prefer texting. You may find email to be “too formal.” The closer you are to 50, the more humorous you find that last statement.

In all groups, email that is more effective is a priority. The point of email is to transmit information succinctly from one person to another or a group of people. Everyone is on information overload. And, for most people, email is a logjam of information. This means if you are brief, to the point and pleasant (i.e., professional) you are part of the solution, not part of the problem. Let’s break email down.

Subject Line

This is all a recipient sees in their Inbox. Make it count. It is usually best to compose the email and then put in a meaningful subject line. If you are sending a meeting reminder or announcement, put the date & time into the subject line. If you need a response by a certain date, put the due date in the subject line. When you send an email after an interview (to a hiring manager or for an informational interview), put “Thank You” in the subject line. The subject line can determine the whole tone of the email. Use it wisely.

Salutation

When do you use a salutation? Use “Dear …” when an email is taking the place of a letter. Here are two examples. When you send a thank you for an interview or request a meeting with someone you have never met. When a boss asks for information or a co-worker asks a question, it is probably not necessary. However, if you send an email with multiple recipients (even if they are just cc’ed) it is better to name the intended primary recipient at the top (e.g., “Hi Pat,”).

The Body

Use spell check before you send the message. Be brief and to the point. Do not provide more information than is needed. Do be pleasant. Do proofread for errors, omissions, tone, punctuation and coherence. Ask yourself, “did I answer their question(s), does it make sense? All of this is the definition of “Professional.” Be professional in your email. It is a reflection of you.

If you are sending an email to someone you know well, you might be able to use a few text-message abbreviations (BTW, IMO, FYI, LOL). Use ones that everyone knows. If your mother doesn’t know it, don’t use it. If you think it would be helpful in the context of your message, explain it. BTW, (by the way) I think some are truly useful. Only one set per sentence IMO/IMHO (in my humble opinion) please.

Attach your attachments first. Yes, before composing your message.  That way you aren't sending two messages about the same thing. If you do accidentally hit "send" before attaching, put "w/ attachments" in the subject line on the second email.

Safety

If you compose an ‘out of office’ auto-responder, put a date in your subject line (Not responding to email until April 2, 2010). This lets people know when you will respond and gives them hope. Notice I didn’t say, “On vacation until …” and don’t mention vacation in the body either. You don’t want to alert a spammer that your home is available for their shopping pleasure.

Remember, too – all deleted emails can be retrieved. Forever. Do not vent, curse or put down someone or a company. It can all come back and haunt you. Yes, your boss may be a jerk. If you know it, others do too. You don’t send emails alerting others that the sky is blue. You don’t need to send emails saying negative things. If you need to vent, create a document that you DELETE!

Read It

I don’t know how many emails I’ve sent with requested information to someone. It is in two paragraphs. They only read the first paragraph. So then, I have to resend the requested information. Learn from this. Put the most important piece first. Use a bulleted list whenever possible so that your email is easy to scan for the information.

People are different. You can have a teenager in the middle of text-crazy friends who hates texting. You can have a grandmother who loves email. Learn your recipient’s style and use it. Use these tips with family too. I’m not saying you need to write “dear sis,” but finding out their preferences will make you more effective all the way around.

For This Week

Answer these questions for yourself to improve your Netiquette.

1. Ask the top ten people you send email, “What is your preferred style?”
2. Make notes, so that you can begin using their style.
3. Compile a list of ten texting abbreviations that you think will be generally helpful.
4. Send a quick reference guide of them to your top ten recipients.
5. Review your most recent emails and compare them to my tips above.
6. Ask yourself, how could I improve these emails?
7. Can you do that action today? Then do it!

Modifying your emails to the above tips will take time to become your habit. Be patient with yourself. When people notice your improved communications, just say “thank you”.

Stretch Goal

What strategy works best for you when using email? What did I overlook? Please post a comment on what works best for you, or what tip above you think is best.

A dream with a plan is a goal. A goal without a plan is just a dream.

All things are possible,

Elisabeth

Elisabeth Adler-Lund

Executive and Life Coaching

Telephone: 916 • 803•1494

E-mail: eal@EALCoaching.com