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Email etiquette - Part 2

Guest post by: Barb Hauge

Article Overview: Email has become a valued business tool and more people are using it to communicate. Increasing your knowledge of e-mail etiquette will give you the advantage of superior communication. Conversations will progressively become more productive, efficient and professional.

Email etiquette - Part 2

I would like to offer you the second in a series of articles to improve e-mail etiquette and communication.

1. The tone of your mail. Unlike face-to-face meetings or phone calls, those who read your e-mail messages don't have the benefit of your pitch, tone or inflection. Be careful about your tone. Sarcasm is dangerous. If something gets "lost in translation," you risk offending the other party. The more matter-of-fact you can be the better.
2. E-mail is not the forum to criticize others. E-mail is a terrific way to commend someone or praise them. It is not appropriate for criticism. There is a good chance you will simply offend the other person, and they will miss the point. These kinds of conversations are usually better handled face-to-face or, over the phone. Especially, don't use e-mail to criticize a third party. Another tip for email etiquette is do not gossip. E-mail messages live forever. They are easily forwarded. You can create a firestorm of conflict if you are not careful.
3. Do not reply when you are angry. Most people can say things in writing that they never would say face-to-face. This is precisely why you should never ever fire off an e-mail in anger. They almost never serve their purpose or your long-term interests. They burn up relationships faster than just about anything you can do. If it makes you feel better, go ahead and write the message, then delete it. Usually a day or two after you don't respond in anger, you will be glad you restrained.
4. Be careful with the "reply to all." There is a time and place for the 'reply to all' Went you receive a group e-mail and reply to it, make sure when you reply that all of the people on the list need to know your response. For example, you are getting together with a group for lunch; the list receives an e-mail saying that the location was changed. Would you acknowledge the location change to the whole group or just the sender? To continue improving your e-mail etiquette and the effectiveness of your email conversations think of it as not only just a fast and simple way to communicate but also a way to build and grow trust and a relationship with the person you are emailing.
   
   

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Article Tags: business tool, conversations, email conversations, email etiquette, improve email, improve email etiquette
Referred by: http://jaykubassek.com



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