Email Etiquette – Think Twice Before You Hit Send!

I was recently in the waiting room at my Sports Medicine Doctor’s office, paging through “Allure” magazine (I had to start with my whereabouts so that no one would think that I actually bought Allure Magazine).  I came across a great article, which I would add a link to, however the December 2009 issue is not online yet; so I will attempt to convey the main points.  In this day and age, phone calls and face to face interaction many times become secondary to emails.  Email can save time, and can be very helpful in getting a point across, and having something to save in writing, however it is not always taken at face value – meaning when you send an email, the tone with which you were trying to convey your message can come across all wrong.  A few key points to remember: 1. Consider your karma – The meaner the email, the more likely you are to screw it up… have you ever accidentally received a message about how wonderful you are?  2. Simmer down – If you are tempted to fire off an angry or emotional message, compose it in a word document first so that you don’t accidentally hit send before you’ve really thought things through.  3. Watch your tone – Sarcasm in an email rarely comes across.  4. Turn up the volume – Kick up the tone a notch.  Use an exclamation point.  Add some enthusiasm.  5. Apologize the right way – If you do send someone an insulting email, get ready to grovel, and not just by email – pick up the phone.

Filed under: Business Strategy, General by Amanda DeBlauw