The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes

If you want to impress all that you come into

e-mail contact with and build positive
business relationships, pay attention to your
e-mail and avoid the following mistakes ...
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 1: Omitting the Subject Line

With the huge volume of e-mail that we send and
receive everyday, the subject line is essential if you
want your e-mail to be noticed and read.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 2: Not Making Subject Line Meaningful

Your e-mail is going to have lots of competition and
the reader is going to decide on the order in which
he will read his e-mails based on who sent it and
what it is about.

Your subject line should be related to your message
and specific. Don’t just put “Hi”, “Hello” or
something generic.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 3: Failing to change the header to correspond
with the subject

If the topic of your email changes when you reply,
your subject line should also change. This makes it
easier to refer back to in the future.

You can also choose to start a new message
altogether.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 4: Not personalizing your message to the
recipient

E-mail, although less formal, still needs a greeting,
especially if we are sending external e-mails to
clients.

Begin with “Dear Mr/Mrs xxx”, “Dear Jane/John”,
“Hello Jane/John”, or just “Jane/John”.

Failure to put in the person’s name could make you
and your e-mail seem cold and impersonal.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 5: Not accounting for tone of the message

Since there is no face-to-face or verbal contact, the
recipient of your e-mail has no visual or vocal cues
to gauge your reaction or your intention.

Choose your words carefully so that you are not
misinterpreted.

Avoid sending jokes or sarcastic remarks because
these might be taken the wrong way.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 6: Forgetting to check spelling & grammar

Spell-checking functions will only catch misspelled
words but not misused ones, so always proofread!

All communication, whether verbal or written, is a
representation of you. If your e-mail is full of flaws,
people will question the caliber of the other work
that you do.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 7: Writing too lengthy messages

E-mail is meant to be brief and concise.

Use only a few paragraphs and a few sentences per
paragraph because the reader usually just skims
through the message.

If you find yourself writing an overly long message,
pick up the phone or call a meeting.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 8: Forwarding e-mail without permission

If the message was sent only to you, why should
you take the responsibility of passing it on?

Too often, confidential information has been leaked
because of thoughtless forwarding of messages.

Unless you are asked to forward it or you have
asked permission to do so, refrain from forwarding
anything that was sent to you alone.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 9: Thinking no one else will read your e-mail

Once your e-mail has left your mailbox, you don’t
know who’s going to read it or where else it will
end up.

Don’t send anything that can be used against you or
embarrass you.

Use other means to communicate personal or
sensitive information.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 10: Leaving out your signature

Always close with your name and your position,
even if it already appears at the top of the e-mail.

Also add contact information such as your phone,
unit/branch, fax, address because the recipient may
want to contact you or send you documents that
cannot be e-mailed.

Avoid adding cute or inspirational messages to your
business signature block.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 11: Expecting an instant response

You don’t know when the recipient of your e-mail
reads his messages so don’t post “action or else”
messages.

If you need feedback right away, pick up the phone.
 The Top 12 E-mail Mistakes
 Mistake # 12: Completing the “To” line first

This should be the last item that you fill up. If you
enter the recipient’s name first, a mere slip of your
finger could send the message out before it’s time.

If you leave the “To” line blank, and inadvertently
press “Send”, it will not go out of your mailbox.

Check the body of the message carefully first for
correct grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity.

Check for any attachments that you need to
include.