Beware the use of “email jargon” that others might not understand. Examples: BTW (by the way) or IMHO (in my humble opinion). This is along the same lines as those ads you see in papers with VGSOH (assuming that every lonely heart out there knows this means “very good sense of humour”. If you’d never read the “personals” before, this would probably seem like a foreign language to you)
As a general principle, also avoid using “emoticons” e.g. in business messages. Occasionally, for a recipient you know well they may be okay, but don’t use them on a regular basis. Also, be aware that you might type in the code i.e. : - ) for a “happy face” and the actual emoticon itself might appear – as happened above)
Appreciate that the laws concerning defamation, libel etc. do apply to emails – even, for example, to any internal messages about Customers etc! Companies have already been successfully sued when libellous internal emails have reached the public domain (in one case where a disgruntled employee deliberately sent a copy of an internal email to the Customer who was abused in it)
Be careful of forwarding large attachments without checking on your recipient’s ability to easily receive them. For example, your organisation may already have either ISDN or broadband facilities, allowing you to easily send any size of document. Your Customer may still be using a narrow-band system
Equally, be aware that some companies limit the size of files their system will accept. This is either to avoid clogging up this system; or to limit the material that any employee can download from the internet!
Use a spell-checker programme to test your email before sending. Also remember that you need to conduct a “personal” check to make sure you haven’t used a “correct” word in the “wrong” place e.g. “sue” instead of “use” or “form” rather than “from”. This can substantially change the meaning of a communication ! For vital emails, it can be useful to ask another colleague to have a read-through for you to check for these types of mistakes
(Concluded in part four)
Email Communication Tips - Part Three - To learn more about this author, visit Gordon Veniard's Website.
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Gordon Veniard
(Visit Gordon's Website)
GORDON VENIARD thanks you for your
interest in these articles
He has been delivering training events -
and creating and providing valuable
development materials - for more than 20
years
Gordon covers a wide range of business
communication, promotion, sales,
negotiation, customer service, leadership
and management subjects. He has worked
with major companies and organisations;
spoken at many conferences and seminars -
always adding good humor to valuable
advice
To find out more, Gordon would be pleased
if you would take a moment to visit his
new website: www.thevenwor
ks.com. You can register for his free
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If you have any queries or questions you
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n@thevenworks.com
Thanks again - please enjoy - and feel
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