Now more than ever we can see the need to be constantly connected. We are more linked to our family, friends, networks and acquaintance’s than ever before. This endless connection can prove either fatal or productive to our careers or current jobs. The importance of a single email is significant and can affect your job potential, so here are a few tips for stellar business email etiquette.
1. Keep it short and to the point.
Our ability as humans to maintain focus is continually getting shorter each day. It is important to make your point without dragging on.
2. Reply to all emails promptly.
Out of respect, generally you should reply to internal emails within 3 hours of receiving if possible. Be sure to include an apology if there is a delay in response and a reason if it is a good one. External emails received have a more extensive time period of 24 hours to respond. In general, the most important thing is to make sure that ALL emails are responded to.
3. Know when to use REPLY ALL, CC or BCC.
When using reply all, you must be careful to look at who is all CC’d and who actually needs to receive the information. If you are just trying to reply to the person sending the original email, just click “reply”. If you would like everyone in the CC’d list to receive this information you can then you can click “reply all”. When you need a recipient to see an email, but do not need them to take any action on the email then you “CC” them onto the email. BCC is used when those CC’d on the email cannot see others who also received the email. These recipients will also not receive anything that was “reply all”.
4. Use a descriptive subject (NEVER leave it blank).
Always include a subject line no matter what. Emails with no subject line can get shuffled in and lost within thousands of other emails. It also becomes harder to search for an email with no subject line in the future.
5. ALWAYS check spelling, grammar, formatting.
It is important to check capitalization and punctuation because these potential mistakes can affect whether or not you receive a response. This is one of the most common mistakes that we, as recruiters, see in the industry. It is also one of the most important things to check in order to create a positive reputation.
6. Be respectful to the recipient.
The number one rule is to be respectful, even when in an uncomfortable situation or conversation. Staying positive will make for a positive outcome and allow you to maintain a positive network.
Composing an email is an everyday task that should be handled very carefully and methodically. These are just a few tips to follow and be aware of before sending. Take charge of your email etiquette today!
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http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/technology/communication-etiquette/email-etiquette-rules
http://indulgy.com/post/vzIAPKtVF1/email-etiquette
http://www.flippingheck.com/email-101-part-4-basic-email-etiquette/?utm_content=bufferf7535&utm_medium=social&utm_source=pinterest.com&utm_campaign=buffer
