From Letters to fax, to pagers and electronic instant text messaging, it is obvious that as communication became more and more convenient, it also became more and more casual and informal. The respect became dear, the formats dissolved, the language became more and more colloquial and we have arrived at words that English literature has never seen before. From “wazzup” to “Jeez”, we have pretty much crossed over formality and reached a point in our informality that it has become a whole new language.
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This is probably what makes e-mails one of the last formal platforms of communication. E-mails are predominantly used for official communications and thus e-mails are probably the only place where some form of etiquettes and format is expected from a sender.
If you are a youngster who is used to sending expressive stickers and communicating through double-tap and use words like “dope” to express appreciation, this can cause a tricky situation for you when it is finally time for you to have official conversations.
So here is Fuzia, attempting to save millennials with e-mail etiquettes you must know about.
SUBJECTS ARE NOT JUST DECORATION. USE THEM- Many millennials find it too big of an effort to add the subject. But actually, subjects are not there simply because it’s part of the format. Adding a subject is how you communicate the seriousness or urgency of the e-mail. Official e-mails, when sent without a subject have a very high chance of being ignored and are usually considered as bad e-mail etiquette. So make sure that you not only write a subject but also write a good one. For example- “The verification document for XYZ process
USE YOUR SIGNATURE. THEY DON’T KNOW YOU- Your signature should always be in your email. Never forget to put your signature in the email. It should require your name and other details. This will help the recipient to know who you’re and how can they contact you. Not to forget this automated signature will help you.
DON’T START WITH A HEY OR HI OR YO. IT’S A BIG NO- This social media habit of starting the conversation by a Hey or Hi can get you in trouble in the professional world. Always use professional salutations. Start with Dear and insert the name or Hello along with the name. These salutations will make you look professional and the recipient will take you more seriously.
IT’S NOT A FUNNY BUSINESS-Humour is a No for emails. Always remember this is not a chat. This requires a formal approach. Also, no one can know your tone through your email. This is not a place to showcase your sense of humor and know in advance that this also can be interpreted as a sarcastic comment.
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DO NOT HIT SEND WITHOUT CROSS-READING- Read, Read and Read again. This good old trick never goes out of fashion. No matter how urgent it is for you to send that email or how confident you never send an email without proofreading. A typo or spelling error due to technological advances such as auto-correct can go for a different word than what you had in mind. So always read and re-read before pressing that ‘SEND’ tab. You know that the ‘Delete for Everyone’ option is not available in emails.
SOME CONTEXT AND DETAILS PLEASE- Never assume the recipient knows what you’re talking about. Give some context and reference with regards to the conversation. While using jargons make sure to provide what do you mean by them. The same goes for short forms. Mention what it is. Just because you know something doesn’t mean the other person has a complete idea about the same.
DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH E-MAIL- Prompt replies and timely replies are essential. Whenever you check your email make sure you give an appropriate reply to those emails. Even if it is to ask for more time or just to inform the sender that you have checked the email. Do that. No one what’s to check their email every ten minutes to wait for your emails.
DON’T RANT IN YOUR EMAILS- You can have a bad day and you can be stressed. However, while you’re in this particularly bad mood do not showcase your anger through your email. Firstly, it is not the right platform. Secondly, as a professional person, a certain decorum is expected from you. Even in a bad mood, while you’re angry take some time to think. If you find yourself in a situation where you’re writing an angry email, put it in your draft. Check your draft later and reformulate the email after a while with a calmer mind.
“Everything is art if you do it the right way”
Originally published at https://www.fuzia.com.