Email etiquette is a very important skill to have in today’s professional world. Since its introduction to the mainstream internet in 1972, email quickly became an easier communication than written and mailed letters and documents. Over time, email became a more professional and acceptable form of communication for work purposes than text messages and even calls outside of business hours. Unfortunately, like any other form of text communication it is hard to be professional as many times your message is warped through text. Something that is mean as sarcastic may come through as more insulting to the reader. Thus, it is important to follow some guidelines and techniques to make sure emails are as professional as possible.
My first piece of advice as stated in an article is never to send an email while angry. This will be something you regret once the reader opens it. Instead, I do suggest typing the email out based off of how you feel in the moment and then delete it. This allows you to get your anger out and say what you want without sending it. Then sit back and wait a few hours or a day and send an email with a level head. Even though you have taken the time to calm down, I still suggest re-reading the email to make sure none of your frustrations have made it into the message. Revise and revise and revise until all personal feelings and emotions are out of the email and it is professional enough to send. This practice will save you from problems in the near future once your employer or customer would open the email.
Another useful piece of advice is to base the professionalism of your email off of the audience, but still maintain proper grammar and structure throughout the process. For example, if you are emailing somebody you consider a close friend it is not as important to use proper headings and signatures. This person is comfortable with you and you can use a more laid-back method. However, this method does not work if you are messaging someone you consider important or in a corporate setting. For these style emails you always will want to make sure you follow proper format and grammatical structure. This will make you look better and more well put together when the email is being read.
Professionalism is a quality many people lack in today’s corporate environment. By following these guidelines as well as other common-sense email etiquette, you can become an email professional in no time.
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