Mastering email etiquette

The fast paced world of technology has altered business communication. However, despite the increased use of videos, apps and other forms of communication, the fact remains that email is still one of the most used online tools in the business world. According statistical data there are more than 4 billion people who have email, as well as almost every modern business. It is crucial for every business and individual to maintain adequate etiquette just like tete-a-tete communication. So let's break it down....

We'll start with one of the basic elements of each email – the subject line. People, especially in the business world, get plentiful amounts of emails during the day and don’t always have enough time to check them one-by-one. This is especially true about emails with subject lines that look like spam. In some cases, people send emails without a subject line or emails with suspicious subject text might get sent directly to the spam folder. Make sure you use the right subject line and point out that the matter is urgent only when it is really important.

CC and BCC are functions that are very useful. If you are part of a project and you want to inform multiple recipients you should definitely use the CC option. However, if the list is very long and there is no need to share the details of all participants then you can hide the email by using BCC function.

If we are talking about business-related emails there is no need to write long introductions. Time is money – so get straight to the point and make sure that the receiving party will get a chance to clearly see what your intentions are.

Another thing that you need to take into consideration is the writing style. Face-to-face communication is an art and there are many people who feel they are not skilled at this form of communication. Email communication allows a different medium for these people. Take this chance to write a professional email in which you professionally share everything needing in a polite, networking manner. Don’t use all caps or emoticons because you might be misunderstood (or let's face it...labeled annoying).

As we said before, people send many emails during working hours and it is not unusual to make a mistake while sending emails. There are situations in which you might get an email that was supposed to be sent to another intended party. It is very important to reply to this email and warn the sender they’ve made a mistake. It is not polite to ignore the email.

When you receive an email TRY answering as soon as possible. While sending fast replies is good, it is also good to make sure that you are responding to everything requested from you. Read the email twice before you reply, as it is very unpleasant to send several emails for one request. AND if something is urgent you should reply ASAP.