Insider Tips - 35

In keeping with our last Insider Tips' topic, dining etiquette, we thought we'd move on to E-mail etiquette. These days, many of us conduct a significant amount of business via E-mail. We have become so at ease that we consider the E-mail account we have at the office to be our own personal property. The following are a few rules to keep in mind when using E-mail in a professional setting.

1. The E-mail account you use at work is not your personal property. It belongs to the company. A lot of people use their office computer to send and receive jokes and make dates with friends. Bearing in mind that E-mail is far from private and that, particularly in bigger companies that have E-mail administrators, your mail might be monitored, the general rule is, don't send any message that you wouldn't want posted on the company bulleting board.

2. Don't make messages too long. E-mail is meant to be fast and concise. Many people receive dozens of messages each day and don't have time to read through anything longer than a couple of paragraphs. Keep it short and sweet.

3. Don't over-punctuate. Using 20 exclamation marks to make your point where one would do just looks silly.

4. Many people argue that E-mail is leading to a complete breakdown in the rules of language and grammar. We occasionally receive messages that don't contain a single upper-case letter. It drives grammar-fanatics crazy but it is perfectly acceptably in cyber space. We recommend, however, that you use proper punctuation and format when sending E-mail messages about serious business matters or to business associates you don't know well. And remember, in cyber space, it's a no-no to correct another's E-mail grammar - even though you're probably right!

5. Don't use HTML or rich text formats just because you want the recipient to see your fancy fonts or colours. Many people do not use programs that handles messages like this and will see nothing but gibberish on their screen. Keep it simple.

6. Don't use those cute little emoticons in your professional life (smiley faces :-), etc.) or abbreviations (BCNU = Be Seeing You). The idea, remember, is to be business-like, concise and uncomplicated - you don't want the recipient wasting time trying to figure out what you mean by signing off with TTYL (Talk To You Later).

7. It is a good idea to use a signature at the bottom of your message that gives your name, company name, phone number, etc. If you work for a large company, it will make it a lot easier for the recipient to figure out the identity of the sender.

8. Never write a message all in capital letters. It is the E-mail equivalent of screaming in some one's face. It is likely to get you "flamed". That's what it's called when you have angered some one by writing them a message in all caps or sending them span (the cyber equivalent of junk mail) and they send you a nasty message in return.

9. Remember that it can take seconds or hours for the recipient to actually receive your E-mail. If the person you are E-mailing works for a large company, the message may have to go through several different mail systems before it arrives at its destination. There's no reason to assume that your message has been ignored just because you haven't had an immediate reply. If the uncertainty is too much for you, you can use the "return receipt" function, if your E-mail program has one, and a confirmation message will be sent to you when the recipient opens your message…..but even that doesn't guarantee he/she read it!

10. Remember that E-mail can convey your thoughts but not your tone of voice. Jokes and sarcasm are often misinterpreted and may result in your being "flamed" by some one who has completely misunderstood. To avoid situations like this, save your humour for in-person conversations.

Contact Davidson Communications for any help you may need in writing and releasing news or statements, and for appropriate follow-up.