Email Etiquette Tips and Proper Practices

Explicitness in Your E-mails

If you receive an e-mail that asks several questions -- answer each one, point-by-point. Don't just hit reply and type a general statement at the top of the e-mail that doesn't cover all the issues presented. You may also be interested in:

Take the Time to Down-edit Instead of Top Posting I get quite a few e-mails from onliners who can’t...
Why Don’t People Reply to E-mails? At least a couple requests come in each day inquiring...
A Little Please in E-mails Never Hurts Please: adverb Used as a polite addition to requests, commands,...

E-mail Responses Can Harm or Build Relationships

Being so many of us are doing business online and technology has become tightly integrated into our business activities and tools, e-mail is one of your primary relationship building tools. Showing courtesy, taking time to be thoughtful and ensuring clarity in your communications helps to build confidence in doing business with you — and helps to [...] You may also be interested in:

What About Thank You Notes? I am of the opinion that the effort you put...
Are You the E-mail Initiator? Do you have acquaintances where you are the one who...
Are You the E-mail Initiator? A site visitor inquires: I am casual acquaintances with someone...

Are You a Lemming or Leader?

I was in a coaching session with a client yesterday where I was instructing them on the nuances of E-mail Etiquette in their day to day communications. You know, all the things I talk about here and in my books. They were very receptive and open to understanding the issues we were discussing. At [...] You may also be interested in:

No E-mail Etiquette; No Response! Who Needs E-mail Etiquette? Each and every person who is...
Are You the E-mail Initiator? A site visitor inquires: I am casual acquaintances with someone...

How to Avoid Offensive E-mails

Yep, we live in a day and age when you just don’t know what may show up in your inbox! In particular, what offends most are those e-mails that are promoting products or Web sites that are sexual in nature. Although I am not really offended, I do get sick and tired of seeing that [...] You may also be interested in:

No Nothing E-mails Today I received an e-mail from one of my less...
No Subject? Then You’re Spammy! For the most part, I don't open e-mails where the...
Are You Spammy? Many times e-mails don’t get through to their intended party...

E-mails Should Not be Manifestos

E-mail is not the venue for rambling random thoughts, your latest tirade or manifesto about whatever your brain sparks at the moment — save that for your Blog. Long e-mails, especially those without paragraph breaks every several sentences don’t get read. They get scanned. I’ve even caught myself scanning instead of reading [...] You may also be interested in:

No Nothing E-mails Today I received an e-mail from one of my less...
Is Selective Capping in E-mails O.K.? If you needed to send an e-mail to your friends,...