How to Refine Your Email Etiquette
Posted on Tuesday, October 24th, 2017
Email is the omnipresent method of communication in just about every industry there is. It’s become so ubiquitous in work environments that it’s easy to forget that email is a relatively new tool.
As with any new technology, there’s a set of constantly-evolving email etiquette rules that you should be familiar with. Writing a polite, succinct email can help establish you as a professional in your work environment. It’s so important that we’ve written a blog post covering the foundation of a great email here. The basics are: keep it short, proofread, and know when not to email.
But there are more things to bear in mind with emails, so today we’re going to dive in a bit deeper and take a look at three more ways to master your email etiquette.
Address Your Email Properly
When you’re sending professional emails, it can be daunting to figure out how to address the person. ‘Dear Mr. Smith’, ‘Hello John Smith’, or ‘Hey John’?
While you may be in a relaxed industry, it’s important to remember that formality still applies in emails. That means that when you’re first sending an email to someone—especially if you’re job hunting—you should default to the most formal. ‘Dear Mr. Smith’ or ‘Dear Ms. Andrews’ is always a safe bet. You can base your further replies on how they address you.
Some things to avoid: unless you are on a super informal basis with the person, don’t use ‘hey’ or ‘hi’. A simple ‘hello’ is often perfect.
And don’t forget to sign off properly, too. Ending your email with ‘thank you’ followed by your signature block is usually totally appropriate. Do be sure you have a signature block—give people all the tools they need to get in contact with you.
Review Everything
Emails are a fast-paced way of communication, with messages being thrown around to people in seconds. In this kind of environment, it’s very easy to dash off a quick email and forget to proofread. We’ve covered why checking for typos is important in our previous post, but there’s more you should double-check before hitting send.
First, review your recipients. It’s pretty easy start typing in a name and hit enter without being sure you got the right person, but always be sure you’re sending the email to the proper people. At best, it’s embarrassing to send a message to the wrong person—at worst, you could accidentally share confidential information with the wrong people.
Secondly, make sure you’ve included a subject. People are busy, and it’s always helpful to give them a hint of what the email will contain. Try to be as specific as possible while keeping it short. This will help people sort through their inbox and identify their priorities.
Finally, be sure you’re hitting ‘Reply’, and not ‘Reply All’. Except for the very few rare instances when ‘Reply All’ is necessary, it is super annoying to be caught up in email chains that don’t concern you. Safe yourself the heartache, and do a quick scan before sending.
Receive Emails Professionally
So you’ve gotten pretty good at sending emails in a responsible, professional way. But did you know there’s a proper way to receive emails, as well?
In a busy environment, you may have multiple tasks ongoing and no way of doing them all at once. When work is crazy like that, and you get an email asking you to do something else, you have to prioritize and determine which things need to be addressed first.
But this doesn’t mean you can just ignore that email until you’re ready to work on it. People expect replies; otherwise, they worry that their email has been lost in your spam filter or ignored. So, when this situation arises, it’s always good to touch base with the person. Reply and thank them for their email, and let them know that you’ll be getting to it within a reasonable time frame. It puts people’s minds at ease, and makes you seem extra professional.
Email is a lifesaver in today’s work environment, but it doesn’t come without its downsides. By learning how to navigate the etiquette of professional emailing, you’ll stand out as a polite young professional.
If you would like to learn more about the Algonquin College co-op program, please visit our website at https://www.algonquincollege.com/coop/, connect with us at coop@algonquincollege.com or call us at 613-727-4723 Ext.7623. You can also follow us on Twitter @AlgonquinCoop.