The "should and should nots " of E-mail writing

Submitted to- Dr. Asha Jain

4/12/2012

Asia Pacific Institute of Management, New Delhi

Submitted By- Upendra Singh Tomar(2k11MKT16)

SHOULDS IN BUSINESS EMAIL WRITING:

Always check the email address of the person you are writing to before you hit the send button. Some email addresses may go to those other than the ones you intend even if you make a small mistake like missing a - or a . in an email address. If the email address is jj.kk@sendmymail.com and you type jjkk@sendmymail.com, your mail could reach the wrong person.

When sending the same message to many people, take care to include names that are relevant; sending it to everyone on your name list can cause problems.

While sending mails to those who only need to be informed, see that you type their email addresses in the space provided for Cc and not in the space provided for To.

Try to avoid using Bcc as much as you can. Use this option only when the people on the list do not know each other and you want to respect their privacy as each person who receives this mail will only the names reflected in this option see his or her name and not the whole list. As far as possible, try to fill in the subject line after you compose your email. Avoid long sentences in the subject line. Remember, the subject line is like a pointer, it is not the message itself. Keep it SMART.

 Decide to whom you are sending the mail. Then, use the appropriate greeting or opening salutation. You definitely cannot address your boss as Hey buddy. Divide your message into paragraphs with a line space in between each paragraph. Make each point clear in a separate paragraph. Follow a logical flow through your message.

Once your message is completed, take time to close it with a proper salutation. Put in your name, designation, office address, and telephone number. Check your message for correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Use capital letters to begin a new sentence. Use capital letters for all proper nouns even if they occur in the middle of a sentence. For example, The meeting will be held on Wednesday next week. Check to see whether you need to use a question mark or a fullstop and use them accordingly. Be careful with words that sound alike but are spelled differently. Examples: stationary, stationery; prinicipal, principle; won, one; know, no; there, their; meet, meat, mete; rein, rain; where, wear; and so on. Check if all the necessary details have been given in your message. Check for logical flow of thought.

Check to see if your sentences are simple and clear.

Take care with the way you express humor or sarcasm as email cannot convey intonation as can be conveyed in speech. Your message can be misunderstood. Always maintain a professional tone in your business messages, even if you are replying to a rude one. Use positive language.

Once your message is complete, choose the most important point to frame your smart subject line.

When you send attachments see that you use a version that the recipients computer supports. For example, if you zip a file and send it as attachment and your recipient can receive such an attachment. Read and respond to your emails regularly. The very purpose of using the email option is lost if you do not do so. Organize your mail box - delete unwanted mails immediately so that your mail box is not blocked. As a result, you could miss out on receiving some important mail. Save all important mail in organized folders. (Unit 1 deals with creation and maintenance of folders)

 Always remember that the emails you send can be forwarded to others; be careful that you do not write or disclose anything that is confidential in an email, it can easily become public knowledge.

SHOULDNTS IN BUSINESS EMAIL WRITING:

Do not start a mail abruptly. Take the time to greet the person. Do not use a vague subject line.

Do not sign off as service desk or something equally vague - use your name. Do not clutter your sentences together in one long paragraph.

Do not capitalize every word; it is considered shouting in netiquette. Do not use only small letters. Do not use ambiguous language.

Do not allow any other person to access your email account - if they send something offensive, then you could be held responsible for what they send. Do not change the wordings of any message that you are forwarding. Do not reply if you are angry - mails once sent cannot be recalled and you may later regret what you have written in anger. Do not clutter your messages with unwanted words and phrases.

Do not put all the points together into one paragraph.

Do not send useless forwards to everyone you know - people are busy and they may not want to waste time reading useless mails Do not send any confidential matter

Do not use fancy fonts Do not use either very small font size or very large

Do not keep all the mails that you receive Do not write long drawn messages in your email

Do not use jargon, slang, sms language or short forms in business email Do not use a demanding or rude tone Do not let your ego come in your way of professional behavior Do not delay replying to mails Do not attach unnecessary files, picture, or documents

Do not forward chain letters like these - send this message to 7 other and your wish will come true Dont send or reply to spam mail

SOME USEFUL TIPS:

Check the email addresses carefully before sending your email. Keep your messages short.

Make your email look and sound good. Review and check your messages before sending them.

Use the reply button if you are replying to a message on the same topic. Include a proper greeting and closing to all your mails.

Make sure to avoid using language that is suited to your great grandparents time. Use positive language if you want positive results.

Use active voice to make your messages sound like you are writing to a person. Use a conversational tone.

Make sure that your message is factually CORRECT, TO THE POINT and CLEAR.. Be considerate to the other persons feelings. Read your mails regularly.

 Prioritize your mails according to their order of importance or urgency. Delete all unwanted messages. Create folders and transfer important messages to them.

Set up the auto-reply function if you are unavailable for a long time. Remember how you write is more important than what you write. Whether your customers are small or big it does not matter; treat them equally. Smile in your emails - which means use a friendly tone. Never rush to answer a mail, especially when you are angry. Do not send sensitive or indiscreet messages.

Be cautious - do not reveal personal details like your password or credit card details in your email Choose a password that is easy to remember

Use smileys [:-)]only in personal emails if you want to - never in business email.