Are We Communicating?
I just read a great article on business email etiquette. Sounds pretty boring huh? The author shared tips that make good business sense. Throughout our day, we are often corresponding with other professionals and with our clients via email, therefore remembering these tips will help us to be better communicators! Here are some points that stood out to me.
~If you are not sure if you should be formal, or casual. Go with formal.
~If the email you receive starts out "Dear", that's how you should respond.
~Don't use ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. It appears as though you are shouting. (Personally I believe it also make you look lazy, as though you can't capitalize when appropriate, so you capitalize everything!)
~Keep it short (if possible) and to the point.
~Be sure your subject line is appropriate particularly when responded to a long string of comments. You may be sending to the same audience, but the subject may have changed.
~It's not necessary to respond to everything! Saying OK, or thanks just prolongs the time spent without adding much value.
~It is important to reply, even if you can't take action right away. You may have to wait for a response from someone else, let the emailer know that!
My personal observations and lesson learned:
~Use a generic font that's easy to read, avoid italicizing
~Be careful with color, black and blue are best, don't use neon or bright colors
(Image courtesy of Freedigitalphotos.net)
Are We Communicating?
Comments(20)