but for business correspondence, keep your fonts, colors, and sizes classic. ", "The relaxed nature of our writings should not affect the salutation in an email," she said. Don't rely on spell-check. After all, email is dangerously easy to forward, and it's better to be safe than sorry. Despite the fact that we're sending so many emails, career coach Barbara Pachter said plenty of professionals still don't know how to write them properly. We pulled out the most essential rules you need to know. Pachter said: "Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. That keeps any misunderstandings from taking place as a result of the exchange. "The relaxed nature of our writings should not affect the salutation in an email," she said. " Don't use laid-back, colloquial expressions like, "Hey you guys," "Yo," or "Hi folks." The result can appear too emotional or immature," she wrote. Email should have a subject heading which reflects the content of the message. "Even when you are replying to a message, it's a good precaution to delete the recipient's address and insert it only when you are sure the message is ready to be sent. Email etiquette Follow these basic principles when using email at work: includes refresher points on the fundamentals of email use, plus more advanced guidance on how to avoid common mistakes and convey a professional attitude. Always identify yourself and keep your messages brief and to the point. In a professional exchange, it's better to leave humor out of emails unless you know the recipient well. Email Etiquette. These principles of behavior can be modified to suit the intended audience and purpose, but are intended to maintain professionalism and demonstrate a mutual show of respect between email correspondents. Accordingly, it's easy to come off as more abrupt that you might have intended. Use "Reply All" with caution. It is also known as the code of … Say "Hi Michael," unless you're certain he prefers to be called "Mike.". Purple Comic Sans has a time and a place (maybe?) The cardinal rule: Your emails should be easy for other people to read. Do not use text abbreviations (like u instead of you, for example). If it’s for review, put that at the beginning of the subject line to make it more eye-catching. Email etiquette and email language. You also can add a little publicity for yourself, but don't go overboard with any sayings or artwork.". A good rule to keep in mind, Pachter said, is that high-context cultures (Japanese, Arab, or Chinese) want to get to know you before doing business with you. In other words, it is only necessary to capitalize the first word in each sentence, unless there are proper nouns. Here are the things to keep in mind when coming up with a subject: Use the same font, type size, and color as the rest of the email, she said. "So don't write anything you wouldn't want everyone to see." Printouts of emails are rarely taken and soft copies are used because archiving and retrieving emails is easily. Here’s ten email etiquette tips for HR and People teams to share with employees: Include a clear subject matter: Short and snappy summary will likely be more effective than a full sentence. Messages that are brief and to the point are welcomed by everyone with an inbox. The social emails can be longer, familiar, friendly, less formal but always polite and considerate. '", "You don't want to send an email accidentally before you have finished writing and proofing the message," Pachter said. A more liberal interpretation: Don't write anything that would be ruinous to you or hurtful to others. The rules below comprise an overview of the most common principles of email behavior. Use professional salutations. If you’re sending from a personal address—for a job application or informational interview, for example—make sure your address is still professional sounding. Addressing Your Email When you send an email, the first issue is the recipients, and particularly whether to use ‘To’, ‘Cc’ or ‘Bcc’.