STOP! READ THAT E-MAIL AGAIN.

Have you ever received emails from friends or colleagues and you wondered if they clearly thought about the message before hitting the send button? Or have you sent an email out and then wished you had read it again before sending it out? We sometimes find ourselves in such situations, Emails are a major form of communication in this age and time. E-mails are 95% of business communication. 

Email etiquette refers to the principles of behavior that one should use when writing or answering email messages. If you have ever found yourself in one of the situations described above, here are top 10 tips to help for better E-mail etiquette:

1.       Limit e-mails to a single subject, and make sure the subject line reflects it.

2.       Maintain the same level of formality that you would when writing a letter.

3.       Be careful when using sarcasm and humor.

4.      Only use capitals when using acronyms. Otherwise, using capitals is seen as shouting and is considered rude.

5.       Keep it short; less than a page. Anything longer should be sent as an attachment.

6.      Don’t write anything in an e-mail that you wouldn’t write in a letter or say in person. Always be professional and calm.

7.     For important, sensitive, emotional, or longer e-mails, it is often a good idea to save the e-mail after writing it and come back to it a while later to proofread it.

8.       Always ensure the e-mail is addressed correctly.

9.     Unless you are absolutely sure it is OK, avoid sending large attachments. You should also make sure your attachments are virus-free and can be opened by common programs.

10. Like other business documents, remember to keep your writing clear, concise, and correct.

To improve your electronic rapport with customer and colleagues, apply these tips to sending out E-mails.