How to Use Proper Etiquette in Business Emails

Email is an integral part of modern business communication. Email is a quick and easy means of communication and it can be easy to forget simple rules of etiquette. Unlike personal emails, the recipients of your business emails are your colleagues, supervisors, employees or clients who expect and deserve professional communication. When emailing at work, keep your emails professional with these tips.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Email

1. Always include a subject line. People receive dozens of emails a day, or even an hour. A concise and accurate subject line will increase the chances of your email recipient opening your email. Including a subject line will also allow your email recipient to decide how to address your email in the most efficient manner.

2. Keep your business emails concise. Tell your recipients the purpose of the email and any required response the recipient must perform. Review your email for any unnecessary information and edit your email accordingly.

3. Use proper English in your email. Abbreviating standard English words is not appropriate in a business email. Abbreviations such as “ur” or “2nite” are not acceptable in business emails. If you are referring to an acronym (e.g., NASA, FBI, EEOC), abbreviations are acceptable.

4. Use proper capitalization and punctuation. There is no reason to use all capital letters in your email. There is no reason to omit periods, commas, question marks or other necessary punctuation in your email.

5. Proofread your email before sending. You shouldn’t send a letter to your colleagues or clients before proofreading it, and you shouldn’t send an email to them without proofreading it either.

Tips & Warnings

• If spelling is not your strongest skill, take advantage of the spell-check tool that most email programs offer.