Email etiquette is a delicate art, and one that’s important
to master, considering the average worker spends 28% of their day checking
email. But, when you use poor judgment in an email to your boss, co-worker, or
client, you’ve created a digital record of your mistake that could come back to
bite you.
Another reason why the stakes are high: Emails can be
forwarded to anyone; they can even be posted on the Internet for the public to
see.
While typos are one thing, there are some egregious mistakes
people make when writing work emails. These 13 things should never show up in a
professional email.
‘Does that make sense?’
This seemingly harmless question can come off as
condescending. Instead, if you need to address complex topics in an
email, type: “If you have any questions, let’s discuss this on the phone.”
‘Obviously’
Using this word can also make you appear condescending. Also, if something were truly obvious, why would you be sending an email about it in the first
place?
Emojis
Unless you work at a super-casual company, smiley faces,
frowns, and other emoticons fail the email-etiquette test. You don’t want to
treat professional email like a text message.
‘LOL’
Similarly, acronyms such as LOL, LMK, and TTYL are best
saved for text messages—not emails to clients. The exception would be if you
were sending an email to your boyfriend/girlfriend.
ALL CAPS
No one likes being yelled at. Emails with sentences or
phrases in all capital letters are basically the digital equivalent of that.
all lowercase letters
Professional emails should be kept as polished and formal as
possible. That means using only lowercase letters, or poor grammar, is a big
no-no.
Informal salutations
In introductory emails, informal salutations such as “Hi
there” or “Hey” are far too casual. Instead, use “Dear Mr. or Mrs. [NAME].”
Responding to a work email? If the other person writes,
‘Dear Jacqueline,’ I would mirror that person’s greeting.
‘Cheers’
Like an informal salutation, an informal sign-off can send
the wrong message, instead use a more formal closing such as “best regards,”
“warmly,” or “all the best.”
Jokes
Unless you’re emailing your closest work buddies who are
familiar with your sense of humor, don’t risk any funny stuff. Humor,
especially sarcasm, doesn’t usually translate well over email. The
problem with jokes in emails is you don’t have the same frame of reference as
you would have in person when making a joke. You lack the same context you’d
have face to face.
‘I quit’
In this instance, email etiquette mirrors office etiquette. There
are certain subjects that require in-person conversation, and a resignation is one of them.
A formal resignation email should
be sent [to HR] after you have a conversation with your boss, and it should
specify the end date of your employment.
Gossip
Gossiping about co workers is
always a bad idea, as it can damage not only your relationships with colleagues
but also hurt your reputation. Nonetheless, a number of people still make the
mistake of spreading rumors over digital channels like Slack, Gchat, or email.
‘We need to talk…’
If you are having a disagreement with a co worker, or see the
potential for one, always take the conversation offline. As this article points
out, your intentions can be misinterpreted in an email. The last thing you need
is a miscommunication via email to make matters worse.
‘Correct me if I’m
wrong…’
This implies you’re smarter than the other person, which
certainly won’t be received well.
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