Five Ways To Get Email Etiquette Right

THIS ONE must have come as a surprise to you, but is taken seriously in the corporate world: Your boss told you to ‘grow up’ because you used ‘:p’ in an email. Indeed, email etiquette is a big deal, and you will end up hurting your own interest if you don’t follow its rules. Anand Altekar lists a few things you need to keep in mind

Plan the Email You shouldn’t put anything in an email that you wouldn’t put on a postcard. “A client usually signs a confidentiality agreement when engaging a company. One should always remember that e-mails are company property and can be used in a court of law,” says Utkarsh Sanghvi, senior tax professional. Email can be forwarded; an unwanted party may see what you have written. So avoid writing personal emails from your company email ID.

Mind your Language “People have forgotten basic letterwriting skills. SMS language and writing the entire mail in capital letters is common. Some people also write the entire mail in the subject line,” says Sandhya Sadananda, director, Windchimes Communications. Remember, when you write using capital letters, it looks as if you are shouting. “Most emails don’t have a proper greeting”, adds Sadananda. Make sure your mail includes a courteous greeting and closing and always address your contact with the appropriate level of formality.

Check CCs and BCCs Use blind copy (BCC) only when sending the email to a large number of recipients. Copy (CC) only people directly involved. Also, be sparing with the “reply all” button. “I usually get annoyed to open an e-mail that says only ‘I agree’. I use the ‘reply all’ button only when I have something to add” says Alap Mehra, deputy manager Acturial, Bajaj Allianz.

Reply Quickly, be Brief Reply to important messages quickly. If you receive an emotionally charged message, take a minute to think it through and then reply. Try to concentrate on one subject per message. An email longer than necessary is quite frustrating. No one likes to scroll through endless pages of replies to understand a discussion, so try to summarise long discussions. 

Don’t Run, Don’t Hide “I think people should not use e-mail to cover up their mistakes. Work issues which put emotional pressure, should not be discussed over email. I prefer talking to the person directly,” says Gagan Agarwal, manager, indirect taxation, Essar Group. Faceto-face communication conveys emotions in a much better way.

(The Economic Times, Mumbai, 18-11-2011)