Basic Email Etiquette Every Professional Should Follow

Being a professional, you are bound to deal with a lot of emails, both at the sending and receiving ends. The language of your email talks a lot about you. When you send an email, the receiver sees only the text, thus it should be handled well. Here are some basic email etiquette that every professional should follow, to avoid being misread or misinterpreted.

Have a Proper Subject Line

Some have a habit of sending an email as a continuation of an old email which is not related to the subject to be discussed. For instance, the subject line would be "Re: Work Status Report For The Day" and the email would be to discuss what is to be gifted for the boss's birthday coming up next week. Please open a new mail and have a proper subject line instead of using the thread of an old one. This will help you in future, when you need the particular mail to be searched and found.

Usage of "Reply All"

It surprises me that some professionals don't even know that something called "Reply All" exists. Well, let me take the privilege to educate you on this. "Reply All" is used when a mail is to be sent to more than one person. For eg. If A sends an email to B and C and if B wants to reply to both A and C, a hit on "Reply All" will send the email's reply to both A and C. Whereas, if A clicks on "Reply", the mail is sent only to A, and not to both A and C. Please make a not of this, if you tend to forget what's taught to you! ;)

Use a Professional Email Address

Thanks to the brands/companies that create email addresses for their employees. I've come across email IDs as weird as barbie_girl78@outlook.com. Please have a proper email ID, you're using it for serious purposes, let's be serious about how you address yourself too.

Use Apt Salutations

When you start an email, please use a Hi or Hello rather than a "Hey" or "Hi guys". This helps set a tone to the email and be taken seriously. There is a class of professionals who don't even believe in using salutations. God save them!

Use a Signature Block

Instead of typing out the signature at the end of every email or sending an email without signing off, have a signature set, so that you can save time on that each time an email is sent.

Use of Exclamation Marks, ALL CAPS and Emoticons

Use a minimum of or no exclamation marks, emoticons and other informal symbols in your official emails. Some have the habit of using ALL CAPS in either the subject line or in the main body of the email. Please be informed that ALL CAPS is generally interpreted as a shout. You may want to shout at your boss, but why let him/her know that?! ;)

Use of Humour

It is better to avoid humour in official emails, unless you are friendly with the recipient. The recipient may not get your tone or get to see your smile, hence don't risk yourself by bringing in a tone that is informal, when you're not sure how it will be read (or misread).

Have the Courtesy to Reply

When an email is sent to you along with other recipients, please ensure that you reply to the email, even if it wasn't meant for you or targeted at you. A reply to an email is as good as returning a smile.

Check for Errors Before Hitting 'Send'

It is better to proofread your emails before you send them across.

Don't Send to the Wrong Person

There would be two different persons with the same name in an organisation. Check for their email addresses and ensure you're sending it to the right recipient. I know of those who tell me that forwarding emails to the right person is one of their daily tasks.

Use a Formal Font

Comic Sans is one of my favourite fonts. That does not mean I use it for all my official emails. Similarly, select an appropriate formal font to convey your messages.

Remember That Nothing is a Secret!

When you type, beware of the fact that nothing is confidential on emails. Every word you type is documented. Use your words wisely, lest they hit you back!