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E Mail Etiquettes
New Feature Of Civilization
A feature article by an Alumbo member, Oct 24, 2003 
Summary: In todays world of growing e mail poppularity and e biz e mails have become a part of our social life. So the way a civilized person or businessman observes etiquette in his social relations or communications it has now increasingly become necessary for our society and we as individuals to evolve and practice e mail etiquettes also. |
Email Etiquette What is email etiquette? In todays world of growing e mail poppularity and e biz e mails have become a part of our social life. So the way a civilized person or businessman observes etiquette in his social relations or communications it has now increasingly become necessary for our society and we as individuals to evolve and practice e mail etiquettes also. Email etiquette refers to a set of dos and don’ts that are recommended by business and communication experts in response to the growing concern that people are not using their email effectively or appropriately. Since email is part of the virtual world of communication, many people communicate in their email messages the same way they do in virtual chat rooms that is to say with much less formality and sometimes too aggressively. Email etiquette offers some guidelines that all writers can use to facilitate better communication between themselves and their readers. One overall point to remember is that an email message does not have non-verbal expression to supplement what we are "saying." Most of the time we make judgments about a person’s motives and intentions based on their tone of voice, gestures, and their proximity to us. When those are absent it becomes more difficult to figure out what the message sender means. So chances of misunderstandings are more in email. That is why be as clear and concise as possible. Check whether you are using correct e mail etiquette? Before sending your e mail check following things in mail. Format:- Apart from general rules of formating you should know very well. Below mentioned are some tips to have better formatting of your e mail. Wrap text after about every 71 characters. This prevents mixing of characters and your mail does not look clumsy. If you do not wrap your e mail withing 70-75 words your e mail will look clumsy like this - Dear Ronald, I am really interested in buying your apartment but I need just a little bit more information. Do you have time to meet with me tomorrow afternoon around three or so? Usually, settings for character length will be found in the "preferences" option on the tool bar of your email client. More tips:- Format your email to be sent in plain text rather than HTML because some email clients may not read HTML. Try to keep the email brief (preferably to one page) so that readers do not have to scroll. Remember to write an appropriate and specific subject in the subject line so that, the recipient knows what to expect. For example: "Dec. 12 marketing team meeting agenda" instead of "meeting." Return emails in the same day that you would a phone call. Write a salutation or greeting for each new subject email. However, if you exchange several emails over the same topic (for example, a meeting day and time) it is not necessary to include a greeting because it is as though you are carrying on a conversation. When we carry on conversations, we do not say hello each time we speak. Use capitalization and punctuation in the same way that you would in any other document. Attachments with your e mail:- You can send attachments as long as you are sure that your receipient will receive them or needs them. Sending attachments is a normal practice when you are submitting documents for review or exchanging information in the workplace or business dealing eg. reports or catalogs. Tips for attachments:- In the content of your email, tell your recipient what type of software was used to create the document, the year/version, and the title of the attachment. For example: "The file attached is called ‘targetstatement.doc’ and it is in MSWord 2001." Don't send unnecessary attachments -- if you've already presented all of the relevant information in an email message, don't attach a Word document repeating the same information. Title the document that you are attaching in a way that is easy for the recipient to find once he or she downloads it to his or her files. For example, if you are sending a document that is a target related statment then title it "targetstatement.doc". Make sure that you do not send overly large attachments unless you are sure that your recipient's Internet connection and email client can handle them. Who is your receipient ? It is always important to know who will receive your email, including the number of people you have on the mailing list. This helps you in two ways. First, it helps you think about the tone of your writing.For example, while you still wa nt to follow the traditional rules of writing, emails that you send to your employer or professor may be more formal and brief than to a colleague or classmate. You will need to decide whether you need to use a person’s title or if writing the first name is appropriate. Second, if you send an email to more than four people regularly you should create mailing groups so that the recipients do not need to scroll through names before they can get to the content of the email. It also helps to keep some email addresses anonymous, as some perceive it as rude for their names and email addresses to be posted for strangers to see. Emails are public documents, despite the fact that you may send an email to someone privately. Therefore, only include those statements in email that you can openly defend should your message be circulated or shown to other parties. Using emoticons (smiley facesJ, winks, etc.), and other virtual gestures may be appropriate in some cases, but not in all cases! It is always essential to consider the type of relationship you have with the receiver of your message before including virtual non-verbals. If your relationship is more casual, then using the symbols is fine. If your relationship is more formal, then it is best to refrain from using them. You will need to talk with the technical support in your office or use the "help" option on your computer if you do not know how to create a mailing group. A mailing group is a list of email addresses assigned to one name (like, admin@xxx.com). You want to use names that make sense to you so that you can remember them. This is especially helpful when you are managing several mailing group lists. The length of your e mail:-
In general, the email should be approximately one page printed or the length of your computer screen so that the recepient will not have to scroll it. If needed you can keep your e mail longer to convey viatl information. Now a days groing number of organizations use e mails as a means of official communication to reduce stationary and other costs.Longer emails generally consist of: Orientation schedules and information, memos, convention information, newsletters, and policy changes. If you are writing a longer e mail remeber to include below mentioned sub titles also 1. An executive summary 2. Required response 3. Table of contents An executive summary This is a short summary of everything in the email document including the main aim of the email or the "bottom line." For example: "Welcome to Edmund Inc. This email contains necessary information about your orientation week. You will find the weekly schedule, names of the speakers, the menu, hotel arrangements, and testimonials from people who previously participated." Required response Because your reader is most likely going to read the first few lines of your document thoroughly and browse through the rest, if you need to have him or her respond by a certain time with certain information, that should be stated within the executive summary. For example: "Please let me know by Tuesday whether you are attending the meeting." Table of contents A table of contents allows the reader to pick and choose what sections of the email are most relevant to him or her. A person is most likely to comply with your requests when you make it easy for him or her to navigate your materials. For example: Table of Contents- Week Schedule -List of Speakers - Menu -Registration Form- Hotel Arrangements - Travel Allowance Policy Inflammatory (Flamming) E Mails:- Flaming is a virtual term for venting emotion online or sending inflammatory emails. It is best to avoid flaming because it tends to create more conflict and tension. Flames are virtual food fights (Angell and Heslop) and are unproductive and injurious to the parties involved. Once you have said something its like arrow going out of its bow. It cannot be taken back. Misinterpretations happen very easily in neutral emails because there is very less of nonverbal expression to cue the recipient about your motives and intentions. You can imagine how much misinterpretation can occur when you are expressing frustration or anger. Consider these factors before sending e mail: Would I say this to this person’s face? Am I putting the receiver in difficult position or embarrassing situation? Empathize that how would I feel if I got this email message? Remember the famous quote "Do unto others what you want others to do unto you". Inappropiate time for sending an email? There are many subjects that are too sensitive to discuss over email mainly because misinterpretation could have serious consequences. Some topics that should generally be resolved outside of email are: Disciplinary action, Conflicts about grades or personal information, Concerns about colleagues or team mates, Complaints When it appears that a e mail dialogue has turned into a conflict, it is best to suggest an end to the swapping of email and for you to talk or meet in person. If you receive a flaming email try to respond in a short and simple response. If that does not appease the flamer than make contact with him or her outside the virtual world you can meet personally or on phone etc.
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