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E-Mail Etiquette
I've been using e-mail since 1981 (yikes!), so I've sent or received probably every e-mail mistake possible. It has definitely given me some insight into e-mail etiquette - what works and what doesn't.
5 Basic Rules of E-Mail Etiquette
Describing one set of "rules" for all e-mail is a Herculean, if not nearly impossible, task. However, there are some fundamental rules which should be observed, but frequently aren't:
1. Make the subject short, interesting, and relevant.
Often a few rounds of "replying" can render the original subject completely irrelevant to the actual topic. The message series started out scheduling a meeting, but the last message in the series was about advertising in the local newspaper as the e-mailed "conversation" progressed over time. However, if the subject line didn't change to reflect the change in topic, it will be nearly impossible to later track what was written about the advertisement. So, when the topic changes, change the subject line, too.
Leaving the subject blank can be a fatal error, causing spam filters to spring into action, dumping the message into a junk mail folder or deleting it. In addition, spam filters will often kill messages with topics like "Important!" or "Hi, it's me!" because those topics are used so often by spammers.
2. Focus on one "action item" per message.
If you want the message recipient to do something as the result of reading the message (answering a question, doing a task, etc.), focus the message on that one thing. A message that requests the recipient to do more than one thing often fails. Usually the recipient does the first thing, hopefully the primary action, and the remaining actions are ignored. Don't assume bad intent, although that may be true in some cases; better to assume short attention span.
If you want someone to do several things, I've found it most effective to put each request into a separate email with a subject specific to that action. Then, each will typically be acted upon separately and can also be followed up separately.
3. Don't send an e-mail message about something you wouldn't put in a voicemail.
If a message is inappropriate to leave in a voicemail, don't send it in an email. It will leave a permanent record, and it may not be "heard" as intended when someone is reading your words on a computer screen. Were you smiling or snarling when you wrote "Thanks a lot!"?
For me, the prime example of this was receiving - in the office - a message telling me that a good friend had just died. I happened to be reading my e-mail when a phone call came in, and that message was the one I opened just as I answered the phone. Blew me completely out of the water! I had to quickly and semi-gracefully terminate the business call while fighting tears. And, the person who sent that message would never have been so insensitive to leave that news in a voicemail, but e-mail seemed an efficient and a less emotional way to convey the news to the many people who cared.
4. Don't assume that e-mail is private.
Particularly if you are employed, be very careful about sending email related to your job search using your employer's email system. Employers often monitor email usage, and people have been fired for using their employer's email system for their job search.
Golden rule of e-mail - Don't put anything in an e-mail that you wouldn't be comfortable having your Mother or your boss - or the person you may be writing about - read on the front page of The New York Times or The Wall Street Journal.
Your message may be forwarded endlessly (see # 5 below). Messages may be misaddressed ending up in the wrong INBOX or "Reply-All" is selected when "Reply" to only the sender was the intent. In addition, copies are retained by various parts of the Internet's infrastructure as part of the back up and record retention processes.
E-mail is "discoverable" in a Court proceeding - yes, you can probably (if you have enough money) find that e-mail your ex-husband sent to his girlfriend BEFORE the divorce, even though he THINKS he deleted it off his home and/or office computers. It's still hidden on a few computers in the world.
5. Don't assume that email is temporary.
Most businesses must save email messages for a reasonable period of time, numbering in the years. So, email may be dug out many years after you first sent it.
E-mail is a wonderful tool, but it can be made more effective with experience and attention - and, of course - reading Job-Hunt.org's articles about using e-mail.
© Copyright, 1998 - 2013, Susan P. Joyce. All rights reserved.
About the author...
Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, NETability purchased Job-Hunt.org, which Susan has edited and published since. Susan also edits and publishes WorkCoachCafe.com. Follow Susan on Twitter at@jobhuntorg and on Google+.
