Download - EMAIL ETIQUETTE What you need to know about communicating effectively in an electronic medium
Introduction to email
In our society, email has become one of the primary means of communication;.
However, most people do not know how to write and send email well.
It is a critical skill, and the sooner that you are able to master it, the easier it will be for you to communicate as a mature young adult.
Email is one of the world’s most common forms of communication. According to a study conducted in
May 2009, there are approximately 1.9 billion email users worldwide. That means that a little more than one
in every five people on the earth use email.
That same study projects that by the year 2014 their will be roughly 2.5 billion email users worldwide.
Statistic provided by the Radicati Group 2009 & 2010
Email is one of the world’s most common forms of communication. It is estimated that around 294 billion emails are sent every day. That means that more than 2.8 million emails are sent every second,
And that around 90 trillion emails are sent per year.
Statistic provided by the Radicati Group 2009 & 2010
Email is the preferred form of communication for business. 730 million email accounts are held by
business users. That’s over 25% of all email accounts.
On average a single user’s business email account receives around 25 email messages per day. This number is increasing at rate of 10% per
year The average business user spends 2.6 hours
per day reading and responding to email. At a 9:00 to 5:00 job that is around 1/3 of your
work day
Email is the preferred form of communication for business. Despite the massive amount of emails
sent each day by businesses, approximately 60% of business correspondence has grammar or spelling errors.
In the business world, these errors could cost your company business, or they might even cost you your job!
Introduction to email
When composing email, simply follow the steps in the following simple checklist.
Before hitting “Send,” be sure to check yourself with the email etiquette guidelines provided.
Write a subject line that is concise but specific. Don’t leave the subject line blank.
DO
Subject: Help for Short Story Essay
DON’T
Subject:
Subject: Hello, this is Richard, and I have a question about the upcoming short story essay
Use a font that has a professional, neutral look (Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier).
DODear Ms. Painter,
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
Thank You,John Doe
DON’TDear Ms. Painter,
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
Thank You,John Doe
Write a salutation that is respectful and appropriate.
DO
Dear Ms. Painter,
DON’T
‘Sup Teach,Or
Hey!
AndDo not leave the salutation blank!
When writing the body of your email, use polite, conversational language.
DO
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
DON’T
I NEED UR HELP!!!!!! i dont kno how to do the asinment u told us to do 2day. email me back asap. URGENT!!!!
Be sure to bring your email to an appropriate close.
DODear Ms. Painter,
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
Thank you, John Doe
DON’TDear Ms. Painter,
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
Before sending the email, ALWAYS check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors.
DO
I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.
DON’T
I NEED UR HELP!!!!!! i dont kno how to do the asinment u told us to do 2day. email me back asap. URGENT!!!!
Tips
The subject line should summarize the message. Good – Subject: Question about Report Bad – Subject: Hey!
Don’t assume the recipient knows the background. Always provide any important details that are necessary to understand your message. Good – I need some help with the vocabulary from
Friday. Bad – I need help with that assignment we did last week.
Keep the message concise. Get to the point and be specific about what actions are needed.
Tips
Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field when sending bulk email. This keeps the other recipients’ email
addresses private.
Don’t SHOUT at people!! Anything written in capital letters is considered shouting.
Avoid angry outbursts. Think before you hit “Send.” Once written and sent, an email may not be able to be recalled.
Tips
Always use correct punctuation and grammar. Do not use too many exclamation points! < Like this one
Use a good layout to improve readability. Use spaces and breaks between paragraphs
to make it easier for your reader Use appropriate sentence patterns to
make your writing more understandable If you wouldn’t say something like that in real
life, think about how you would say it.
Tips
Keep the thread of emails together; use the “Reply” button.
Use correct spelling. Spell-check is a wonderful invention. Use it, but don’t rely on it solely. Go back and check yourself! A funny miscommunication spell-check will not catch:
What you said was: I was really excited to get your massage yesterday.
What you meant to say was: I was really excited to get your message yesterday.
Don’t “Reply All” unless necessary.
Tips
Avoid using acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons in formal and/or professional correspondence. No LOL or
Edit the superfluous (unnecessary) text out of emails.
Just say no to chain letters!
Do not be overly familiar with the recipient. In other words don’t write an email like you would
talk to your friend.