How to Write a Professional Email - Basic Email Etiquette

With today's rampant use of email it's easy to forget that some emails should always look professional. Especially emails you send to bosses, coworkers, clients, business contacts etc. Follow these tips to ensure your emails remain professional.

Things You'll Need

• To Read This Article

Instructions

1. Never use all caps. There is absolutely no need to use all caps in your email. Emails that are written in all caps are difficult to read. Additionally and even more importantly, writing in all caps is akin to shouting. You probably don't want to shout at the recipient of your email so use caps sparingly or never.

2. Keep your margins wide, you want to make sure your email can be easily read on any monitor. Meaning, avoid long sentences.

3. Use proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. Nothing is more annoying than trying to decipher an email. Especially in a professional setting; there is just no place for internet slang or slang in general. Reserve your LOLs and ROTFLs for your informal emails to friends.

4. Let the recipient know what the email is about in your subject line and be specific.

5. Don't mark something urgent/important if it really isn't. I didn't respond to two emails today for this reason. It's annoying, especially since I already have a few really urgent emails in my inbox.

6. Use the cc field sparingly and appropriately. Make sure that the people you are copying on an email really should receive it otherwise you are clogging their inbox. Again, annoying.

7. Don't forward chain letters, send cute little have a nice day notes, happy Friday messages and so on and so forth. There is just no place for this in a professional environment. I once knew a lady who sent everyone passages from the Bible. Needless to say she was eventually reported and reprimanded.

8. Follow these tips and your emails will get read, and people will continue to like you.