E-Mail Etiquette

BE INFORMAL, DONT BE SLOPPY Abbreviation is common with colleagues Not with external customers Your e-mail reflects you and your company Spelling, grammar and punctuation necessary

Keep messages brief and to the point

It should be short and meaningful Concentrate on one message possible

Use Sentence Case Should not use ALL CAPITALS Should not use all lower case For emphasis, use bold Dont use a lot of colours or graphics

Courtesy Copy (Cc) and Blind copy (Bcc)

Do not use Bcc when you send

important messages. If you use Cc, it develops confidence Use Bcc, when you send to a large distribution list Be cautious with your use of Cc. Copy only people who are directly involved

Dont use e-mail as an excuse Face-to-face or voice-to-voice

communication is more valuable

E-mail isnt appropriate for emotional

messages
If you have problem, speak with that

person directly
Dont use e-mail to avoid uncomfortable situation or to cover up a mistake

Be sparing with group e-mail Send group mail only when it is useful to

all
Use reply all button only when

compiling results requiring collective

input Recipients get annoyed to open e-mail that says Me too!

Use the subject field for indication Mention the purpose in the subject field

Dont use Hi, From Arun etc,

If the message takes time to read, it is

better to mention long in the subject

field.

Be cautious while using emoticons E-mail cant convey the nuances of verbal Some use emoticons to convey their

emotions.
Sometimes, it will diffuse them

Use a signature includes contact information

Use your signature. It include your contact information Mailing address, phone numbers and website address.

Take Another Look Before You Send a Message

Double careful with everything you write

Allow every message at least some

minutes of rest after you finished

Reread and reconsider the whole message

Do Let People Know Their Mail Has Been Received

If it is not obvious to the sender that you

have got their message (because you

move forward a project in which they are

also involved, for example)

Do send a quick note back, possibly involving an informal thank-you, to acknowledge receipt even if no reply is necessary otherwise.