E-mail Etiquette

Staying current with e-mail etiquette and diplomacy takes a little finesse. We extol the virtues of reputation, responsiveness, and cooperation in business. We become passionate apostles about what the "customer" wants and how to increase sales, productivity, and profitability through better communication. But with sloppy or lazy e-mail habits, you risk undermining your expensive campaigns and you invite snickering among employees and outbursts from customers.
Here are the latest e-mail tips and a review of e-mail diplomacy.
• Make the subject line specific. Think of the many messages you're received with the generic subject line, "Hi" or "Just for you."
• When replying to or forwarding an e-mail, clean up the document. Rebecca Morgan, a communications consultant in California says, "I just received an e-mail from someone who had received it from 12 other people. I don't need to see that." Use the "BC" or blind copy command more often than the "CC" or carbon copy command. In the message you forward, delete the extraneous information such as all the "Memo to," subject, addresses, and date lines.
• When replying to a question, copy only the question into your e-mail, then provide your response. You needn't hit reply automatically, but don't send a bare message that only reads, "Yes." It's too blunt and confuses the reader.
• Address and sign your e-mails. Yes, the To: and From: say who's corresponding, but beginning the message with the person's name "Mo," or "Dear Mo," helps customize it. Sign your name, "Sincerely, Curly" or provide a signature line for people to know who you are and where they can reach you.
• DON'T TYPE IN ALL CAPS. TOO INTENSE, and you appear too lazy to type properly. This is still a written medium. Follow standard writing guidelines as a professional courtesy.
Revisit periodically how you conduct business over e-mail.

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