General guidelines for using business email

The following are some tips that will help you handle your business email in a more professional way.

Keep it short

Business email is a tool which is meant to send messages in a simple and clear way. Therefore, avoid elaborate introductions or lengthy conclusions. Before typing out your message, decide what exactly it is you would want to communicate to the recipient. When recipients receive the email, they need to understand right away why you sent it and what they are required to do. You could consider using bullet points to bring out your main points more clearly.

Use a business tone

Your emails should leave recipients with a good impression of you, as well as your business. Make sure your communication is as professional as possible and avoid rumors, gossip and inappropriate joking. Keep in mind that your messages are not always a private matter. Your emails can be forwarded to other parties at any given time. In addition, they can be easily retrieved and used as evidence in a lawsuit against you.

Use proper wording and punctuation

One of the things that need to be avoided is TYPING YOUR TEXT IN ALL CAPS. This is usually interpreted by the recipient as shouting. In addition, steer clear of shortcuts such as '2gether'. Make sure you use proper wording, as well as punctuation. For instance, exclamation marks should be used moderately.

'Reply to all' moderately

When you send out your emails, avoid including unnecessary recipients. Many people get put off when they receive emails that are not relevant to them. 'Reply all' emails are only appropriate when you want to get the collective input of all your recipients. However, in most cases, it would be advisable to reply only to the individual who is expecting a response.

Attach wisely

Generally, it would be advisable to have a maximum of three attachments per email. Make sure the attachments have your name, as well as an appropriate title. This will enable the recipient to remember who sent it much later when they go through their files. Avoid sending heavy documents such as PowerPoint presentations without warning. Always make sure you have the consent of the recipient.

When used in a proper way, email can be a very effective communication tool for any business. However, when you want to convey a very personal, sensitive or confidential message, email might not always be appropriate. In such cases, it would be advisable to meet the recipient in person or give them a phone call.