** KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR INBOX

Here’s what I plan on working on:

1. Stop using the words like and totally.  The suburban valley girl
inside of me is not going to be happy about this one.
2. Spell check.  Every time.
3. Proofread.  Every time.  Uh, this is going to be exhausting.
4. Break emails into paragraphs.  You’d think that would go without
saying, but email started out as such a casual method of
communication, the letter writing etiquette never really applied.  It
does now, though, so make your high school English teacher
proud.
5. Create a custom signature.  It’s in the settings of your email
account and it screams, “Hey, look!  I know about technology.
Aren’t I rad!?”
6. No emoji or smiley face anything in professional emails.  Sad,
but true.  {I wish I could insert a sad emoji right here.}
7. Keep everything clear and concise.  Write an email like you
value the other person’s time.  Get to the point.  Of course, you still
want to communicate effectively, but no need to write a dissertation
on the subject.
8. Crank your vocabulary up a notch.  I’m not suggesting that your
reader have to have a dictionary handy to get through your email,
but using a little more formal verbiage might trick people into
thinking you’re competent and well-spoken {or at least, I am hoping
it will trick them into thinking that about me}.
9. Remember that tone is extremely difficult to convey over
email {especially without an emoji}, so it’s best not to try to be
sarcastic, etc. in a professional email unless you really know the
recipient
1. Decamp
I love using this word in a business context. It means to suddenly move your

location and comes from the world of military encampments. It's fun to say,

too. "Let's decamp to the other conference room later today" is a great way to

avoid sounding dull.

2. Cachet
I used to laugh when this word came up in an old business magazine called

Portfolio. It was as though the editors all decided to insert the word

randomly. It's still a good one. It means something has "prestige" or is worthy

of respect.

3. Superfluous
This wonderfully useful word means something is unnecessary. Technically,

it means "more than enough" when enough will do just fine. In a business

context, it's profound. You can build an entire company by not being

superfluous. Isn't it time you tried it in an email?

4. Nefarious
It's OK to be a little sarcastic in email, right? This word is way over the top. It

means to be totally wicked or criminal. If you send a message to your

marketing team and tell them the donuts in the lobby are nefarious in nature,

people will notice. And laugh.

5. Quibble
When you send a message, consider using words that have subtle meanings,

especially if you can insert them into everyday conversations. Quibble means

to make a slight objection, and that can happen when there's a project that is

mostly on target but needs a slight fix.

6. Remit
This word comes from the field of journalism; it's useful when you are

discussing mobile app development or who is in charge of the tax plan. It

means your area of activity that's been officially assigned. So, it's what you

are supposed to be doing officially.

7. Incisive
It sounds like a medical term and maybe a little painful, but it's a great one to

use when you need to be really specific. It means you are intelligently

analytical. It helps you cut through the noise and get right to the point.

8. Incendiary
People in the office might think you are talking about a fire-drill or an

emergency. That's OK. You will get their attention. This word means

something is intentionally meant to cause conflict. It can apply to a topic or

possibly a person in the office who just wants to stir up trouble.

Now, feel free to practice on me and drop me a message anytime. Bonus to

anyone who can compose an entire message using all of these words, go.