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E-Mail No-No’s
Life is frenetic, so taking the time to read, send and reply to e-mails can be time-consuming and maybe even stressful. According to a Scottish study, "More than a third of workers say they feel 'stressed out' by the number of e-mails they receive in the office and the pressure to respond promptly."
Lead researcher Karen Renaud, a computer scientist adds, "E-mail is the thing that now causes the most problems in our working lives."
As much as you may be tempted to take shortcuts and make life easier, it's important to ensure that your e-mails are always professional and well written. Blogger Wendy Maynard writes in her recent post:
"E-mail is part of your marketing and it makes an impression. This is true whether you are sending an e-mail to a client, prospect, vendor, or potential employer. A typo once in a while probably won’t ruin a relationship, but please make sure that you look at what you have written before you hit that 'Send' button!"
E-mails are part of your brand, so here are some e-mail no-no’s:
1. Don’t write too much. If your e-mail is too long, it may be better to create a Word attachment the recipient can print and read.2. Don’t use sarcasm or wording that may be misunderstood. What you intend to say may be misconstrued in an e-mail format.3. Don’t write when your emotions are out of whack. You may regret what you send in anger or frustration. Stew on it for a day.4. Don’t use vague subject lines. The clearer the subject line, the easier it is for your recipients to decide whether to take the time to read your e-mail.5. Don’t send your e-mail to the wrong people. Double-check to ensure the recipients are correct or you may get backlash.6. Don’t send any e-mails that could come back to haunt you. E-mails can be forwarded, so whatever you have to say that’s confidential in nature, say in person.7. Don’t send before re-reading and checking for spelling, typo, and content errors. These can make you look unprofessional and your company lack brand credibility.8. Don’t e-mail without a professional signature. In fact, your company should have a standard e-mail signature in a communications standards manual so everyone’s signature is consistent.9. Don’t allow e-mails to sit for days unanswered. Try to take action in order of priority. Use folders to help you organize.10. Don’t send one-word e-mails that waste people’s time, like, “thank you” or “OK” unless you get a request to acknowledge receipt of a previous message.
Some of these are adapted from an article by Kim Komando on Microsoft’s Small Business Center site.
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