Effectively communicating through email has become such an important part of life in general, and is especially important in the workplace or in a school environment. Here are some tips to consider in your professional email communication.
Consider the tone of your email address. Take a look at the actual email address you use to communicate with professors, colleagues, or anyone else. What does your email address say? If your address has anything to do with your hobbies, your body, your nickname, or your sex drive, you should consider getting a new email address. An unprofessional email address does not reflect well upon your professionalism. Consider changing Ilovebobscat@aol.com, iknowuthinkimhot@hotmail.com, bobthebinger@msn.com, or any other questionable or immature email address to something that you would be comfortable with a potential employer reading. A professional email address should be some combination of your first and last name. If the logical combinations are not available, consider adding numbers, but limit the numbers to two or three.
Most colleges provide students with an email address. While you are in school, it is appropriate to use that address for school or work communication. Once you graduate, you should create different personal email for your job search. Yahoo!, Google (Gmail), Hotmail, AOL, and others all provide users with free email addresses.
Consider the purpose of the email. Make sure you are using email communication for the right purpose. If you are angry with someone, an email is not the appropriate channel of communication. With conflict, it is always best to speak face-to-face. Email is excellent for direct questions that require a short answer. By sending an email, you allow the receiver time to research and respond without imposing on their time or schedule. Email is also a good choice when you need to document your communication. For example, if you are sending a compliment about a coworker to their boss, the email can be forwarded to the coworker or printed and placed in a personnel file. Or, if you are explaining how to complete a task, an email is useful to document the instructions.
Do not use email to be destructive. Remember that email is permanent. Anything you send via email can theoretically be read by anyone else anywhere. Never send an email communication that you don’t want to be shared with others.
Check the email address. An email address is like a telephone number. If you are off by just one character, the email will not get to the right place, but will be returned as undeliverable. Use your contacts feature that comes with most email software. When an email comes to you, add the email address to the contact list automatically. If you type in the email address, check it carefully.
Use the subject line thoughtfully. Use the subject line thoughtfully to let the reader know the topic of the email. If you label your email “help!” or “question,” your purpose is not going to be clear. A good subject line is specific. For instance, use “Question about 7/30/07 meeting” or “Resume from Bob Garret.” This also allows the reader to return to the email easily if needed.
Always address the person to whom you are writing. Always use at least the person’s name in salutation. You can also add “Dear John,” “Hi Mr. Smith,” or anything else that is appropriate. In professional communication, pay attention to what the receiver likes to be called. If you are writing to a superior or a potential employer, is it appropriate to call them by their first name? Sometimes it is hard to know. It is appropriate to ask. Also, pay attention when others are around. If your boss introduced himself to you as “Mr. Edgewater,” and that’s what others call him, you should too. If your professor refers to herself as Dr. Simpson, then use that name. If she has said to call her Nancy, then use you are clear to call her by her first name.
Get to the point. For the most part, professional email communication is intended to be efficient and effective. It is acceptable to ask someone how he/she is doing or how things are going, but you probably want to avoid elaborating on the events of your weekend. You should make an effort to get to the reason for your email quickly.
The purpose of your email, whether it is a question, a problem, a request, or a complaint, should be present and clear in the first sentence or paragraph of your email. Use the body of the email to give supporting details or explanation.
Support your point in the body of your email. The body of an email should expand on and explain your purpose (introduced in the first sentence or paragraph). As you compose your email, think carefully about the information you are sharing. Is it all important? Could any of it be saved for a conversation or follow-up email? Your point will be more effective if you are concise.
Sign the email with your name and contact information. Just as you should always address emails to the recipient, you should always sign your name at the bottom. If you are not familiar with the recipient, sign both your first and last name.
You should also always include contact information, either in the closing of the email or directly after your name. Most email servers will allow you to create an electronic signature. In that signature, include your name, title, email address, phone number, and business address (if you like). The signature will then be placed at the end of every email you send, ensuring you don’t forget.
Be careful what you send via email. Most workplaces and colleges have the ability to monitor employer or college-sponsored email. Many do, and they are not required by law to tell you about it. Many people send sensitive information through their work/college email address without thinking about it. Sensitive information could include:
- Negative or threatening statements about a colleague, superior, professor, student, etc—even if it’s a joke!
- Statements of a sexual or inappropriate nature (talking about drug or alcohol use, or anything else you know isn’t okay)
- Inappropriate forwards—just because you received it from someone else, and didn’t write it yourself, doesn’t mean it’s okay to send it on. Delete it.
- Confidential information of any form. For example, if you have been given sensitive information in the workplace, don’t put it in an email—even if it’s going to a person in the know.
- Spam. Never fill up someone else’s email with unsolicited material.
A good general rule: Use common sense. Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want your superiors to see, or anything that you even think could get you in trouble. You can be fired for improper use of email! Use your personal email address for anything of this nature.
Never write while angry. Email can get you into trouble, so it is best to think of it as a professional forum and not a mode of casual communication.
With that said, never write an angry email (or, if you do, don’t send it). Ranting over email will make you seem unprofessional and childish, and will not get you anywhere. If you are truly angry, and a situation requires immediate attention, address it in person. If the situation can wait an hour or so, give yourself a chance to cool down before communicating.
Don’t send forwards. There are literally millions of funny or touching or persuasive emails passed along via email. Even if you receive them, passing on forwards in the professional forum is not appropriate. Most people don’t even like to receive them.
Send attachments thoughtfully. Though sending an attachment via email has many benefits, do so thoughtfully. First, ensure that you have adequate virus protection on your own computer so that you are not spreading viruses unknowingly. Second, consider the size of the attachment. Many email accounts only allow attachments of a limited size, such as one or two or five megabytes. If you must send an attachment that is larger in size, you will need to use another method, such as ftp (file transfer protocol). Also, consider referring to the attachment in the body of your email.
Proofread your email. Misspelled words, incorrect grammar, unclear sentences, and other errors will make a bad impression. Once you have finished writing an email, read back through it. If it’s very important, you might want to have someone else read it for you. Most email servers have spell check that you can utilize.
Do not use slang or acronyms. Common acronyms you may use like “LOL,” “where are U?,” “brb,” “CU L8R,” “U2,” “J/K,” etc. are not appropriate for a professional email.
Email is an excellent communication channel that is used often in day-to-day personal and professional correspondence. It can make life efficient and allow you to communicate quickly and effectively if used properly. Email can also be a permanent record of your communication and can be read theoretically by anyone and everyone. Write and send them with care.