Here are some do's and don'ts that one should try to follow while writing emails in a more effective way
1. Populate the Address Fields properly:
You will have three options for addressing an email. The addresses in the 'To' field are for the people you are directly addressing. The addresses in the Carbon Copy 'Cc' field are for the people you are indirectly addressing and basically only for those who need to be copied. The addresses in the Blind Carbon Copy 'Bcc' Field are like 'Cc' except that the addresses in 'To' and 'Cc' do not know that the addresses in the 'Bcc' are included in the conversation. Keep one thing in mind that generally people don't like sharing there private email addresses with others, so try avoiding using 'cc' and instead use 'Bcc' field.
1. Populate the Address Fields properly:
You will have three options for addressing an email. The addresses in the 'To' field are for the people you are directly addressing. The addresses in the Carbon Copy 'Cc' field are for the people you are indirectly addressing and basically only for those who need to be copied. The addresses in the Blind Carbon Copy 'Bcc' Field are like 'Cc' except that the addresses in 'To' and 'Cc' do not know that the addresses in the 'Bcc' are included in the conversation. Keep one thing in mind that generally people don't like sharing there private email addresses with others, so try avoiding using 'cc' and instead use 'Bcc' field.
2. Setting Subject line:
Try having a concise yet meaningful subject line. Don't use words like 'Urgent' in the subject line. Generally the recipient should think your email to them is important as you took the time to write it. Make sure it contains clear information about what you are communicating.
Try having a concise yet meaningful subject line. Don't use words like 'Urgent' in the subject line. Generally the recipient should think your email to them is important as you took the time to write it. Make sure it contains clear information about what you are communicating.
3 .Setting up Diction and Tone through Salutations:
Sometimes we don’t know what tone to use in an email while addressing strangers or in unequal power relationships in a hierarchy. Should we be formal or chatty, belligerent or humble, demanding or placating?
Sometimes we don’t know what tone to use in an email while addressing strangers or in unequal power relationships in a hierarchy. Should we be formal or chatty, belligerent or humble, demanding or placating?
The salutations usually set the tone for the rest of the message in the mail, and the way you address an individual, whether of lower or higher status, can make or break you.
a. The standard way to open a business letter is with Dear, the person's name (with or without a title), and a colon, like this:
Dear Harjeet: Dear Mr. Sharma: Dear Dr. Vinod: Dear Professor Vinod:
b. Otherwise, use less formally with greetings like this:
Hi, Vinod, Hi Vinod, Good morning Sharma, Hello, Prasenjit,
c. Or, just use the person's name in the opening sentence, like this: Vinod, you were right about the project. If you don't know the reader well or if the letter or the relationship is formal, use a title and a last name (Dear Mr. Sharma).
d. Unless you are certain that a woman prefers Miss or Mrs., use the title Ms.
e. If you are writing to two people, use both names in your salutation, like this: Dear Mr. Vinod and Mr. Prasenjit, Dear Vinod and Prasenjit,
f. If you don't know a person's gender, use the full name rather than a title: Dear Vinod kumar sharma, Dear V.K. Sharma,
g. For a simplified business letter, do not use a salutation. Instead use a subject in all capital letters, followed by the body of the letter. Simplified business letters are perfectly acceptable but not so common
Dear Harjeet: Dear Mr. Sharma: Dear Dr. Vinod: Dear Professor Vinod:
b. Otherwise, use less formally with greetings like this:
Hi, Vinod, Hi Vinod, Good morning Sharma, Hello, Prasenjit,
c. Or, just use the person's name in the opening sentence, like this: Vinod, you were right about the project. If you don't know the reader well or if the letter or the relationship is formal, use a title and a last name (Dear Mr. Sharma).
d. Unless you are certain that a woman prefers Miss or Mrs., use the title Ms.
e. If you are writing to two people, use both names in your salutation, like this: Dear Mr. Vinod and Mr. Prasenjit, Dear Vinod and Prasenjit,
f. If you don't know a person's gender, use the full name rather than a title: Dear Vinod kumar sharma, Dear V.K. Sharma,
g. For a simplified business letter, do not use a salutation. Instead use a subject in all capital letters, followed by the body of the letter. Simplified business letters are perfectly acceptable but not so common
4. Conciseness is the key: Keep messages brief and to the point. It’s also important to understand that some people receive hundreds of e-mail messages a day (Yes, there are such people), so the last thing they want to see is a message from a Novelist.
5. Prompt replying: Get in the habit of replying fast, a prompt reply makes you look efficient. In these days 24 hours (or one business day for work emails) is the longest an email should sit.
6. Acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons: As long as you don't overdo it, and the audience can reasonably be expected to know what they mean, acronyms and abbreviations and emotions are OK to use in e-mail. Avoid use of short form words in business communication like "r" in place of "are" , "u" in place of "you" etc.
7. Avoid forwarding other people's discussions and attachments, without their specific permissions. problems can occur when something was written for one person's eyes and was mistakenly or ignorantly sent to someone else who took offense from it.
8. Email is generally not a secure medium so company confidential information should not be sent using emails.
9. Typing All in Captials: This is considered as shouting in world of emails. Try avoiding it.
10. Read recipient in your emails: Don't use this feature untill there is an important internal message you want to convey to all of your employees.
11. Illegal / Abusive Emails: It’s very easy for the content of the mail you receive or send to be scanned for the statements that are defamatory, discriminatory or illegal; you should know that this is against the TOS (Terms of Service) of all ISPs. By sending or even just forwarding one libelous, or offensive remark in an email,you and your company can face court cases resulting in multi-million dollar penalties. If you receive such mails, immediately send them to your ISP with full headers and File a formal complaint. All ISPs have information on how to do this on their site. Keep the emails on file in case you need to refer to it or provide additional copies down the road.
12. Last but not least, Read the Email before you send it: A lot of people don't bother to read an email before they send it out, as can be seen from the many spelling and grammar mistakes contained in emails. Apart from this, reading your email through the eyes of the audience will help you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.
