- Salice Thomas
- Follow Me
- December 15, 2012
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The number of worldwide email accounts is expected to increase from an installed base of 3.1 billion in 2011 to nearly 4.1 billion by year-end 2015. This represents an average annual growth rate of 7% over the next four years. As per the email statistics report published by Radicati Group in May 2011 estimate the number of e-mails sent and received by a corporate email user is 105 per day. It is estimated that this figure will be 205 in 2015 despite the growth rate in the number of emails send and received per day is slowing down due to the rapid rise in other forms of communications, particularly instant messaging (IM) and social networks. Out of the 105 email, the average number of email received is 72 and sent is 33. Over the next four years, we expect corporate email accounts to increase at a faster pace than consumer email accounts. This will be particularly due to the growth of affordable cloud-based email services.
A recent Wall Street Journal report indicates that soon employees will spend three to four hours a day on e-mail. Don’t you wish that every person who received a new e-mail account had to agree to follow certain rules to use it? Here are the important professional email etiquettes to keep in mind regarding professional e-mail conduct.
Sending Emails
1. Each e-mail should be replied to within at least 24 hours, and preferably within the same working day. If the email is complicated, just send an email back saying that you have received it and that you will get back to them.
2. Assume the highest level of formality with new email contacts until the relationship dictates otherwise. Make sure you spelled their name correctly.
3. Take the time to review each email before clicking Send to ensure your message is clear and you are relaying the tone that you desire.
4. To ensure that people know who you are, include a signature that has your contact information, including your mailing address, Web site, and phone numbers.
5. Never use an old email to hit reply and start typing about an entirely new topic.
6. Use templates for frequently used responses.
7. Do not ask to recall a message. Biggest chances are that your message has already been delivered and read. A recall request would look very silly in that case wouldn’t it? It is better just to send an email to say that you have made a mistake. This will look much more honest than trying to recall a message.
8. Multiple instances of !!! or ??? are perceived as rude or condescending.
9. Make sure your e-mail includes a courteous greeting and closing. Helps to make your e-mail not seem demanding or terse.
10. Don’t hesitate to say thank you, how are you, or appreciate your help! Also few additions of the words “please” and “thank you” go a long way!
11. With emotionally charged emails, wait until the next morning to see if you feel the same before clicking Send.
12. Avoid capitals; if you write in capitals, it seems as if you are shouting.
To, From, CC, RR, Subject
1.Include addresses in the To: field for those who you would like a response from. Include addresses in the Cc: field for those who you are just FYI’ing.
2.Your subject line should be clear, concise and appealing. Concentrate on one subject per message whenever possible.
3.Feel free to modify the Subject field to more accurately reflect a conversation’s direction.
4.Don’t use Return Receipt (RR) on every single email. Doing so is viewed as intrusive, annoying and can be declined by the other side anyway.
5.Check the address line carefully when you use the autofill feature
Email Attachments
1.When sending large attachments, always “zip” or compress them.
2.Be sure your virus, adware and spyware programs are up to date and include scanning of your emails and attachments both incoming and outgoing.
3.Use PDF when possible to ensure that all parties can open the attachment irrespective of the tool they are using.
4.Always check file size to make sure you don’t fill the other side’s inbox causing all subsequent e-mail to bounce?
5.Avoid sending business attachments outside of business hours. Confirm that the format in which you can send can be opened by the other side.
Email Forwarding
1.If someone asks you to refrain from forwarding emails they have that right and don’t forward it -no matter how noble the cause may be.
2.When forwarding email, if you cannot take the time to type a personal comment to the person you are forwarding to–then abstain from forwarding.
3.Don’t forward anything without editing out all the forwarding >>>>, other email addresses, headers and commentary from all the other forwarders.
Out of Office
1.Keep it brief. It is not necessary to provide your schedule for the next two weeks.
2.Use complete sentences. A message that reads only “Out of Office” is too abrupt.
3.Let people know when they can expect to hear from you or how often you will be checking your e-mail.
4.Give them options. If you are not going to be available, tell them whom to contact and how.
