It amazes me how my email inbox has grown over the years, on any given day I can have hundreds of unread emails. That is a large amount of material to sift through and determine what is important, what can wait, and what is garbage and spam.

Oh, and don’t forget to check your spam box also for that important client email! Great, isn’t email supposed to make more efficient use of my time? Unfortunately (e)mail takes up a good percentage of my day.

Since effective communication is such an important factor in running a business I have been thinking about the importance email etiquette. Maybe I should be asking myself why I get so much poorly written junk and spam?

In my businesses I often use email as the primary form of initial contact with my prospects and clients. All client email should be treated with care but you only have one shot at a first impression.  Email must represent you and your business in a professional, prompt, and courteous manor.

When writing email it is critical to consider who the audience is. The appropriate tone and language should always be used in client correspondence. Be careful not to loose your professional touch when writing email.

From time to time we all forget that email was not intended to replace verbal communication. Sometimes you just need to pick-up the phone to talk to your client or customer. Email is also not intended to be used for “instant messaging” and there are many other tools that can be better used for that purpose.

Here is a list of 14 email etiquette rules that I think would help every inbox:

• Read the email before you send it
• Be concise and to the point
• Address all questions
• Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation (spell check)
• Make it personal
• Answer questions promptly
• Do not overuse the high priority option
• Do not write in CAPITALS
• Don’t leave out the message thread
• Do not overuse Reply to All
• Think twice about abbreviations and emoticons
• Do not forward junk mail
• Use a meaningful subject
• Don’t send or forward inappropriate emails (defamatory, offensive, racist or obscene)

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, comments, and other email etiquette tips.