Rumor has it, most employees devote roughly a quarter of their week to emails. This statistic doesn’t even take into account personal email communication. We are living in a time when the ability to disseminate information and respond quickly to problems is critical to our success. It's no surprise email has replaced most paper communication.
With the sheer volume and speed with which emails are being exchanged, it’s easy to see how email etiquette can get overlooked and cause communication breakdowns. However, these communication breakdowns can waste time and cause embarrassment. And, at their worst, they can have both personal and professional consequences.
Maybe it’s time to evaluate your email etiquette and incorporate a few of the following tips. These tips have been divided into professional and personal tips, however, most apply to both types of communication. Hopefully, these tips will improve your communication and save you from any cringe-worthy email mishaps.
Start by paying close attention to your subject line. Your recipient will decide how to prioritize your email based on its subject line. A good subject line should contain about three to six words, and directly communicate the content of the email. A good subject line might read, “Q4 Marketing Plan For Review.” Another great tip is to update the subject line as the conversation progresses. By doing this, you will continue to accurately reflect the message in the email.
Follow the “one thing” rule in your email communications when possible. Respecting others' time is an important aspect of email etiquette. Sending an overly long or detailed message makes it challenging for the reader to discern what is important and needs a response. Make sure your email message only covers one specific matter. Create a numbered or bulleted list if you need to make multiple requests on the same matter.
Keep your writing clear and concise. You can accomplish this by keeping paragraphs skimmable and providing a clear call to action. A skimmable paragraph is no more than three to five sentences, and helps the reader quickly discern the call to action. The call to action lets the reader know what you want them to do next whether it’s a follow-up call, further clarification, or an RSVP for a meeting.
Make your recipient aware of attachments. A lot of email communication involves attaching additional files. It’s a good idea to indicate somewhere in your message if you have included an attachment, so it does not get overlooked. If you are sending a particularly large file, let the recipient know ahead of time. There may be a firewall or other restriction in place preventing them from receiving large files.
Always invite other forms of communication. If you are dealing with a complex issue that might be better served with a phone call or zoom meeting, it’s okay to suggest this. When you sense too many back-and-forths taking place to navigate through a complex topic, a phone call or meeting might be the quickest way to cut through the complexity. You could say something like, “please feel free to give me a call for further clarification” -or- “let’s set up a zoom meeting to discuss in more detail.”
When communicating on a personal level, all the above tips can be quite helpful. However, here are some additional tips pertinent to improving your personal email etiquette.
Don’t hit “reply-all” unless the whole group needs to see your response. When sending personal emails, it’s common to send the message to a whole group, like various family members or a friend group. At its core, email etiquette is about being thoughtful to people and respectful of their time. Don’t waste people’s time by hitting “reply-all” and creating a cascade of messages when everyone may not need to see your response.
Take emotional or sensitive discussions to a phone call, video call or in-person meeting. When emailing back and forth about emotionally-charged issues, so much can get miscommunicated with the lack of body language, voice inflection, or facial expressions. Avoid possibly escalating an issue or causing deeper hurt, by having a phone call or in-person meeting.
Give yourself a time-out when you are emotionally distraught. Too often, we feel the urge to send an email during these times. If you must write it, do not send it. Get your thoughts out, and then come back to the message later with a clear head. Hopefully, by taking some time to breathe, you will be able to craft a message you won’t regret later. This can often apply if you’ve had a bit too much to drink as well.
Remember, all email communications can be forwarded. Try to keep email messages positive. Know when you put something in writing, it can easily be shared with others. Again, you may be better served by picking up the phone or meeting face-to-face.
If you are tempted to forward that racy joke your uncle sent you, consider whether the recipient will appreciate it, or might be offended by it. What you and your uncle find humorous may not be appreciated by your friend or co-worker. Not to mention, some people don’t appreciate having to sift through additional emails just to read a joke.
Hopefully, you have found these email etiquette tips helpful. Remember to be clear, concise and thoughtful in your communications. And, make sure to be considerate of the recipient’s time. You are well on your way to awesome email communication.
