Once you push send an email is forever public
(Some of the following is based on an article which appeared in the Herald on Sunday, April 10 2011)
In business today, email is the chosen form of communication – whether we want to reach someone across the office or across the world. Despite its ease of use and omnipresence in our lives, it is important to remember that good email etiquette can help those of us using it look more professional. However, a lack of email etiquette can deter our advancement and/or even cost us business. According to Romie Littrell, an associate professor of international business at Auckland University of Technology, business communications should be somewhat formal and structured. “With New Zealand being probably a more egalitarian society than most of the rest of the world, the habit of informality leads to a lax approach to communication in business,” he says.Despite its importance and potential impact, email etiquette is largely ignored by many. A real trap for email users – especially those aged 20 and under – is the using text abbreviations, which is totally inappropriate in a business setting. One of the key benefits of email is its speed, so replying back to someone within 24-hours of receiving an email is important. Even if it is just a quick response saying that an email has been received and you’ll look at it closely later. There are a number of basic guidelines for making email more effective. Here are some:
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When sending to more than one person, the “To:” line is only for those who need the information contained in the email or need to act on something contained in the email.
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The “Cc:” line should be for those who merely need to be informed. That way, when you receive an email you’re merely “Cc’d” in, you know you generally don’t have to do anything.
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It’s dangerous to use the “Bcc:” line to hide a person from the recipient because emails get forwarded. People should only use “Bcc:” to keep someone informed where it’s not necessary for the recipient to know about, for instance your secretary.
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Generic subject lines such as “hello” or “important” should never be used. The subject should describe what the email is about to give the reader an idea of what it is and determine its importance. A distinctive subject line also helps you keep track of your conversation threads when people respond back to you.
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If during an email thread someone changes the topic, you should change the subject line. This is particularly handy for those who save emails by topic.
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When using attachments, particularly with people you don’t know, say what the attachment is.
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Including a proper signature at the end of an email is imperative. Every email, even replies, should include at least your full name, job title, organisation and telephone numbers. Above all, think before you send.
Probably the most important part of email etiquette is to always be careful what you put in an email, because it’s a public document and will be on the record for ever. Remember that any negative comment or remark, particularly anything personally negative, has a high probability of getting back to the person you said it about. Someone once told me to only send something via email that you would be happy to see printed on the front page of the newspaper – because one day it may well end up there. For email use in business, this is a point well worth remembering before hitting the send or reply button!