Helpful Email Tips

Email can be a real time saver. It is important to keep in mind that the reader may not perceive the message in the same way that the message was intended. By following some basic email tips, you can help to prevent your email message from being misinterpreted.

1. Reread what you write! Take the time to reread your email. This communication can be saved by the recipient and shared with others.

2. Use capital letters sparingly! Capital letters represent shouting and emphasizing points. Also, if every word is capitalized, the message loses emotion.

3. Avoid sarcasm! Don’t try to add your sarcasm into your emails. The

message may come across rude instead of witty. Also, the reader may not

be in the right frame of mind to receive the sarcasm and interpret it as

nasty.

4. Include a subject line! It is polite to include “re:” or “RE:” and add a subject for each email that you send. Make it brief and to the point of your email. Using this tip can make the difference between your email getting opened or not opened.

5. Copy and paste! When responding to an email, copy the section of the email that has the information you are answering. Paste this section above your response. This avoids the entire email being resent.

6. Spell check! Even though emails are informal communications, it is polite to check spelling before sending emails. It only takes a few seconds and helps the recipient to easily read your message.

7. Be to the point! Keep emails short and to the point. Lengthy emails can end up being confusing.

8. Ten emails! Notice how often you email. Your friends and colleagues may appreciate actually hearing your voice from time to time. After about ten emails, pick up the phone and call.

9. Leave chain letters unanswered! Resist the impulse to forward chain letters and other heart-wrenching material on to others. These messages clog up the Internet and are likened to “junk mail” in our mailboxes.

10. Use expressions and symbols! It is difficult to have your emotions

understood via email. Using symbols and combinations of punctuation

marks, your mood and tone can be better understood. Example: ; ) which

is a smiley face turned on to the side, but represents a good mood.

Reference:

Article written by Kaitlin Duck Sherwood entitled "A Beginner's Guide to

Effective Email" - http://www.webfoot.com/advice/email.top.html