5 Steps to Maintaining Email Etiquette
If you have a white-collar job and a smartphone, you are always on your email. This constant connectivity is great for fast responses, but etiquette and best practices can be lost. Preston Sims suggests these rules for professional communication.
1. Use a clear, direct subject line
People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line, so choose one that lets readers know you are addressing their concerns and that won’t get lost among the dozens of emails they get each day.
2. Respect weekends and holidays
Never send an email asking a question or exploring a new topic over the weekend. Save these emails for regular hours when your recipient has access to the information and people they need for a timely response. Avoid the Monday morning slog through countless weekend emails and slide into their inbox with a fresh message at the start of the week that they can answer immediately.
3. Follow up with them
And if someone is following up with you, give a timely and polite reply to each legitimate email addressed to you. Even if you do not have an immediate answer or are slammed, take a second to let the sender know you received their email and will get back to them.
4. Proofread your message
Autocorrect doesn’t always spell the word you want. Reread each email to make sure your spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct before sending. You may be judged as sloppy or uneducated if your email is littered with misspelled words and grammatical errors. And be wary of dictation to text apps: They usually misspell Hawaiian names and words.
5. Include a signature, even on your smartphone
Nothing is more irritating than needing someone’s phone number or title and not being able to get it because they don’t have a signature on their emails. Provide your reader with your full name, title, company name and contact information, including a phone number.
THIS MONTH’S AUTHOR:
Preston Sims is a top-producing mortgage loan originator for HomeBridge Financial Services’ Kahala office.
