How to Effectively use E-mail both Professionally and Personally.

Did you know that e-mail is considered "official correspondence" and can be used in criminal and civil cases? Have you ever noticed that many companies have some sort of disclaimer at the bottom of their e-mail? Learn how to effectively use e-mail without annoying others, and to make a great impression every time.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A desire to make a great impression to potential and current clients.
• A desire to reflect professionalism in all you do.

1. Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization COUNT! Spelling, grammar, punctuation and capitalization rules apply EVERY TIME! This simple courtesy should be given to EVERY reader including your family and friends. When we ignore this rule it can portray a lack of care and it is simply unacceptable regardless of the content of the message. Imagine the number of times we forward an e-mail on. Is this an image you want to portray to others who receive the e-mail later down the line?
2. Stop & think before forwarding Never forward non-business related e-mail at the office! We live in a very politically correct time, ladies and gentlemen and although we may find it humorous or worth forwarding, we have no idea what others may think and or feel regardless of how well we think we know them. As an example, during my time in Corporate America, I was told of an individual that forwarded a non-business related e-mail to a co-worker who took offense to the item sent. Although it was not originally started by this individual - they were FIRED for forwarding it on. If you find something TRULY hilarious that you must send, send it to your personal e-mail account. Then, prior to sending it to others, create a brand new e-mail message and cut and past the information WITHOUT any company information included.
3. Boycott the "reply all" button! This button should NOT exist. If you have a response, send it to the original sender and ONLY those it directly affects. People do not appreciate your opinion/thoughts especially when it has NOTHING to do with them - all it does is aggravate them and clog their in-box with non-relavent material.
4. Leave out Always consider your audience when writing e-mail. Most people do not enjoy "fluff". Follow the "KISS" rule - Keep It Simple, Silly. Most people like it short and sweet but still well written. Using bullets in an e-mail can be helpful for those without a lot of time to spend reading.
5. Not all e-mail requires a reply Not all e-mail requires a reply. When you provide an answer to someone, do you find it necessary that they send you back a message to say, "thanks"? Again, un-necessary e-mails only annoy the receiver and take up needed space in their in-box. So always take a moment to think before you click send.

Tips & Warnings

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