NETIQUETTE

= NETWORKING ETIQUETTE
The proper way to communicate with
Business Clients as well as Office staff
using Email over the Internet
Is electronic communication
error free ?

Today we avoid face to

face communication

Depending on
Almost Robotic technology that is
NOT perfect

More impersonal Which leads to

Miscommunication
 AVOID
Misunderstandings !
■ Remember that messages may be missed, ignored,
forgotten or even mistakenly deleted – a reminder
message is always good.
■ Sometimes MORE can be accomplished in one
telephone call than 10 email messages.
■ Give credit to those deserving of it & ask for
permission whenever required.
■ Remember that Emails can be hacked. So be careful
in writing confidential information.
 Active vs. Passive

■ Mostly try to Use the ACTIVE voice

Ex) We will process your order today.
(Active – gives more surety) Vs.
Ex) Your order will be processed today.
(Passive – can give a feeling of doubt)
 Some more Email
Writing Guidelines
■ Small paragraphs separated by blank lines are
much more readable than long run-on pieces.
■ Pointers are much appreciated.
■ First address the issue/problem instead of beating
around the bush.
■ There is no harm in saying, you haven’t understood
asking for more/better clarity.
■ E-mails without full stops or commas are difficult to
read and can even change the meaning of the text.
■ Careless writing skills demean your intelligence and
integrity.
Unspoken Expectations
of Email Etiquette
■ Reply to an email within 24 hours (even in holidays)

■ Acknowledge the sender especially if a task has been

assigned to you, or for an invitation

■ Establish organized filing systems

(make folders within the mail-box)

■ Keep copies of important emails for reference

■ Use separate accounts for personal and business email

Elements of an Email
Communication
1. Recipients
• Cc & Bcc
2. Subject
3. Salutation
3. Message
A. Fonts & Style
B. Language
C. Vocabulary
D. Emoticons
5. Reply
6. Security
7. Sign Off
8. Signature
 1. Recipient + “Cc” & “Bcc”
Cc: Carbon Copy Bcc: Blind Carbon Copy

• Carbon copied • Blind carbon copied

recipients ARE visible recipients are NOT visible
to all other recipients to anyone but the sender
• Usually used when • Use this when sending to
others are a long list of recipients or
referenced in the to recipients that should
email or for those not know each other
you want included in
the conversation
 2. Subject

■ The subject must be concise, meaningful and

ideally confined to around five words.

■ It is also important to change the subject in

string mails to suit the changing context.
 3. Salutation
 Dear [Name / No Name]
 Formal - Dear Sir/Madam (any one or both)
 Informal - Dear Ramesh,
 Avoid prefixes such as “Mr.” or “Mrs.”
 Hello [Name with Prefix / Group of people]
 Hello Mr. Shah, Hello everybody,
 Respected Sir,
 In case of addressing public figures.
 4. Message / Text
■ The text should be concise and to the point,
capturing the essence of the message, without
being over explanatory.
■ Multiple ideas are best presented using bullets
rather than as running sentences in a
paragraph. The use of bullets improves the
readability and the comprehension of the
message.
■ The message should be so framed that it fits
within the size of a single screen. Ideally a
paragraph should be confined to about five
lines.
 A. Fonts
■ EVEN A SINGLE PARAGPRAPH IN ALL CAPS IS
HARD TO READ AND IS THE EQUIVALENT OF
SHOUTING IN EMAILS.
■ Use uppercase for emphasis. Remember that
an entire message typed in lowercase not only
hampers the readability but also violates the
rules of English grammar.
■ Colour, italics and bold can be used judiciously
for emphasis and effect. However, a random
use of these features lends a certain triviality
to the message depriving it of its seriousness.
 B. Language

■ The impact of the most articulate message is

marred by discrepancies in spellings and
punctuation. Remember to proof read your
document before clicking on the ‘send’ button.

■ While abbreviations like BTW (by the way) and

ASAP (as soon as possible) may be acceptable
in informal communication, they are a definite
NO in formal communication.
C & D. Vocabulary & Emoticons

■ Kind and polite words will get the most

demanding work done what strong messages
may not be able to.

■ While smileys may be used in personal

communication,  they have no place in
business communication. 
 5. Reply

 The indiscrete use of the ‘Reply All’ option

generates avoidable traffic, besides being a
source of annoyance to the recipients.
 Imagine a scenario where a person has
initiated a mail to invite ten people for a
meeting and each person responds using the
‘reply all’ option. This generates hundred
responses, whereas the situation warranted
only ten.
 6. Security

Email is not a private medium of communication,

as hackers may be at work and one may
accidentally receive or send mail meant for
somebody else. Therefore, confidential
information like credit card numbers must never
feature in emails.
 7. Sign-off

■ ‘Regards’, with or without qualifiers like ‘kind’

and ‘best’, is used for addressing people with
whom one has established a relationship.

■ ‘Sincerely’ is used in very formal business

communication e.g. a job application.

■ ‘Thanks and Regards’ should be restricted to

situations that demand a ‘thank you’ and not
used as a rule in every communication.
 8. Signature

Always use official signatures for business

communication and try to use a single signature
for all employees working in one company, but two
employees using the same ID should use their own
name to sign-off the email.

Think twice before sending an email

& always proof-read the text for
Grammar and Spelling mistakes.
The Worst mistakes in an Email
■ Never begin without a salutation.

■ Don’t misspell your recipient’s name. Ever.

■ Do not use Hi or Hey for business

communication including office staff.
 This is only for emails sent to friends and
family members.
 Acknowledging an Email
 Acknowledgement emails, now serve a crucial
role in business & professional communication.
A simple akl. note is sufficient in most cases:
 Noted.
 Thank you for your email, will do the needful.
 I have read the email and will follow it up as
necessary.
 Please can you provide more clarity on the
matter.
 Automated response like: I’m on a vacation,
will reply as soon as I get back to office. You
may alternatively contact: [Email]
 Follow-up Email
Do’s:
■ Write a good opening line:
 The meeting went really well, thank you.
 Let us meet again on D & T to discuss this further.
■ Make it personal, avoid generic thank you emails.
■ Be Honest about the meeting but in a polite way.
■ Summarise the meeting stating the key points.
■ Apologize if you were late to the meeting or could
not attend, stating a genuine reason.
■ Use a professional email signature.
■ Organize a follow-up meeting (if required) and
send a Reminder email to all concerned parties.
 Follow-up Email
Don’ts:

■ Don’t delay sending the follow-up email after a

meeting.
■ Don’t use this as an opportunity for networking
with people whom you don’t know well.
■ Don’t go off-topic:
 The lunch was delicious.
 The arrangements were really great.
 I think we’ve met before.
Letter of Thanks / Appreciation

■ Address the primary reason for appreciating

someone.

■ Be specific if it is for a single person or a team.

And send emails to all those concerned; rather
than sending it to one person and asking them
to pass it on.

■ Thank them for their individual role if it is a

team of people – like leadership skills, bringing
the team together, playing an active role, etc.
 Apology for
Inconvenience Caused
 Do’s:
■ Apologise by expressing sincere regret.
■ Be specific about what happened and mention
what steps you or your company will take to
make sure the inconvenience won’t happen again.
■ Validate and relate to the customer’s feelings.
■ Give the client your direct contact information
(office number) to give a feeling of assurance.

 Don’ts:
■ Don’t make excuses or shift the blame.
■ Don’t leave the issue unresolved.
 Example of an Email communication

From: Jonathan Grove

To: Ashley Miller
Cc: Janet Costa, Nina Myers
Bcc: Julie Ann Skala
Sub: Outcome of the meeting

Dear Ashley,

Thank you for your support with the meeting. I will inform
you of the results as soon as the files get posted.

Tomorrow’s agenda will be available first thing Monday

morning. Please review the details with Janet and Nina.

Regards,
Jonathan Grove
Assistant Manager
Summer Fun Company
23087 Mel Road
North Park, CA 62545
Ph.: 630-989-5224
“Employees should develop and maintain
proper work etiquette to make interaction at
work a smooth and enjoyable experience for
everyone. Research indicates that there is a
clear need for etiquette training at the
workplace.”
- Harvard Business School
Thank you all
for your Time
and Patience !