One of the most popular questions we receive from our clients and in our “Ask GWA” inbox is the proper way to use business email communications. While social media and texting have increased drastically over the last decade, email is still considered the most important communication tool in business.
Here are some tips on making better use of your email:
- Write compelling subject lines: Most readers decide whether or not they will open an email message based on what the subject line says. Write short, catchy, and informative subject lines to get attention.
- Write greetings and closings: Always begin and end your messages with courtesy. You never want to leave an impression that you are abrupt or unfriendly. “Thank You” or “Sincerely” can go a long way.
- Use appropriate formal language and avoid colloquialisms, idioms, and double entendres: It’s a given that you should not use profanity in a business email, but you also have to be careful about your language used figuratively. Always use literal meanings, especially when communicating with international readers, because specific phrases and words can have different meanings within a different cultural context.
- Spell check and use complete sentences: Spell check is your friend; always use it if you want to be taken seriously. And just because you use abbreviations and emoticons in your text messages doesn’t mean you can do the same with email.
- Always reply to someone else’s email: Everyone gets busy sometimes, but you should still respond promptly. Not responding can reflect poorly on your professionalism.
- Get to the point: Yes, you can write longer, more complete messages in an email than in a text message or Twitter, but you still need to keep your message short and to the point. Otherwise, not many people will want to read your emails.
- Don’t spam: Don’t send unsolicited emails unless there is an option to unsubscribe. Also, only use the “Reply To All” option when it is necessary to include a certain number of readers.
- Email is not private: Although in most countries it is illegal to forward someone else’s email, it does happen regularly, whether intentionally or not. So it would be best to assume that more people could see the email than you intended when you clicked the send button.
- Take your business seriously: Always keep your email messages professional, no matter how angry or irritated you feel. You never know how recipients will react and if that can cost your business.
- Use “old-fashioned” communications: When in doubt about an email being misunderstood, the best thing to do is to pick up the phone and call the recipient. Sometimes, a phone call can alleviate a lot of heartache!
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