Email etiquette
An email may seem like the quickest and easiest way of communication with others. Avoid misunderstandings by following a few simple rules of email etiquette.
1. Do not overuse the high priority, urgent and important options
Ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? Well that situation is very relevant to emails. You should only use these special functions if something is of utmost importance and needs to be read immediately. People will catch on if you use them too frequently and your emails could be ignored!
2. DO NOT USE CAPTIALS
As you can see by the title, it is very aggressive and abusive in nature to use capitals unnecessarily. Never use capitals, it’s the email equivalent of shouting right in someone’s face and is extremely poor etiquette in emails. If you find yourself in a situation where you have typed a large email only to realise it is all in capitals, highlight the text and press Shift F3. This will make every letter a lowercase. Of course you will have to re-capitalise some words, but its a lot easier than rewriting the whole thing!
3. Spam
Never reply to spam, this just confirms your email address is active and you will continue to receive more and more spam. Always block an email address from which you receive spam.
4. Respond to all questions
If you are asked a number of questions in an email, be sure to answer each question so the sender does not need to come back to you and ask the question again. Pre-empting relevant questions is also good email etiquette.
5.Use a signature
Using a signature is an important part of email etiquette and tells people exactly who you are, how to contact you and any related businesses.
6. Read your email before sending
Never send an email without reading it and never send a message in anger. If you write a message when you are angry, save it to drafts, go have a break and come back and reread what you wrote. Chances are that on reflection, you will make changes. Rereading your email will help you get your message across clearer and ensure there is no dubiety over its meaning.
7. Chain letters
No one likes them. Do not forward useless chain letters telling people something bad is going to happen to them if they don’t send it to everyone on their contact list. It doesn’t happen; it’s an email, not a witch doctor! The only form of chain letter that is acceptable are jokes, everyone likes a laugh. Just make sure it is appropriate!
8. Use correct grammar, spelling and layout
There are a few steps you can take to ensure the recipients view your emails. Many users still use email systems that limit character length to 65 characters, so try to limit the length of emails. Make sure to keep a good layout with short sentences and using paragraphs.
It is also important to spell-check your email when you are done. Many programs, such as Microsoft Outlook, include this function. Using special fonts is not wise, as many email systems may not be able to read them. Always use one of the key fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial.
For more information on spam and how to prevent it, click here.
