Email Etiquette: Five Tips Before You Hit Send

Undoubtedly we’re all proficient email users and carry out the majority of our daily conversations online, whether business or personal. With the ease of sending an email comes the ease of making a permanent communication error, as well as some issues we usually wouldn’t encounter through personal conversation, which can hopefully be avoided when taking the following into account:

Think Before You Type
No matter how easy or tempting it may be, remember that anything you write over email is permanent and leaves a paper trail. Though it may be easier for some to express their feelings via written communication, keep in mind that once you hit send, it is potentially for anyone’s eyes.

Always Begin and End With Pleasantries
No matter how short the content of the email, try to begin and end with pleasantries to avoid the message of the email from sounding abrupt, curt or self-serving (even when it is).

Give Yourself a General Three-Day Response Deadline
Unless you are away on vacation, three days (especially for anything business-related) is generally the length of time you can delay without including an apology in your email for the delayed response.

Include a Subject
Unless the email string involves banter between you and your significant other or family member, make the lives of receivers easier by including a subject line in your email. Not only will it make it easier to find in already cluttered inboxes, but the subject line will also indicate the degree of urgency and priority in terms of response.

Keep Personal Emails to Personal Email Accounts
You never know who has access to your work email so it is probably a good idea to restrict the intimate details of last night’s date, how crazy Saturday’s party ended up or the crush you have on a coworker to your Gmail or Yahoo account.