Email Etiquette in Three Simple Steps
It’s the beauty of email: fast, simple, direct and you never get someone’s voicemail. But there’s a bit more to emailing than just point-and-shoot. There’s email etiquette that’s cause for confusion and enough to make your head swim. In this day and age of digital communication, what ARE the rules for email etiquette? Do I have to respond to everyone who emails me, every time? The answers might surprise you, but here’s my take on the world of email etiquette. It doesn’t have to be a conundrum – it’s email, for Pete’s sake!
Email Etiquette Tip 1: Be Concise
Don’t fire off a lengthy prose masterpiece for your business communications. Save those for the writing contests and updating your mom. Email should be short, concise and respectful of the receiving party’s time. How do you do it?
- Ask one question per email (but don’t send six emails with one question each in rapid succession!)
- If you must ask multiple questions, use bullet points and preface the list with: “I have X questions for you.”
- If you have a deadline, provide that.
Email Etiquette Tip 2: Indicate if You Need a Reply
I get HUNDREDS of emails each day – there’s no way I can respond to everything and email communication threads have to end somewhere. Don’t feel obligated to respond to every single email in your inbox. Here’s my list of rules for what needs a reply and what doesn’t:
- When someone asks a question or asks for something
- When they’re said something really nice and I would like to thank them
- When someone has shared something with me and I found it interesting
- When I need to confirm something.
Aside from that, it’s a case-by-case basis. Use your best judgment but every “thank you” doesn’t require a “you’re welcome!”
Email Etiquette Tip 3: Say Thank You
Whether you add it to your signature line or type it in at the bottom, show your appreciation for your recipient’s time. You’re glad they’re reading your email! It’s that simple.
Now – do YOU have any email etiquette adds for this list? I’d love to hear them!
