Do’s & Don’ts Of Email Etiquette Do proofread your email. Make sure you’re words are spelled correctly and your grammar is accurate, and that you included whatever you said you would include (always double-check those attachments!). Do be clear, concise, and thorough. Sending a generic email that is super vague could result in having to go back and forth multiple times to get to the point! Don't assume the recipient knows what you are talking about. Whether you are emailing a boss, friends, or trying to pitch someone, think to yourself “Is this the quickest and clearest way I can get my point across and convey all the relevant and necessary information?” If you can’t answer with a “YES!” then don’t hit send!

Do begin with a greeting Do begin with a greeting. Always open your email with a greeting such as “Dear Lori” or better yet, if the relationship with the reader is formal, use their family name like “Dear Mrs. Birds”. If the relationship is more casual, you can simply say “Hi Kallie”. But if you don’t know the name of the person you are writing to, use “To whom it may concern” or even “Dear Sir.Madam”. Do make sure you have a signature. Include your first and last name, website, relevant social media platforms, phone number, etc......on the flip side of including your number in your signature, please don’t be one of those people who asks for a phone number if someone already has it in their signature. Do use BCC if you’re emailing a bunch of people. If you are sending a blast email out to everyone and they only need to respond to you then please use BCC (blind carbon copy) to avoid all the other people from replying with “cool!”, “got it!”, “thanks!”? No one likes their emails clogged with useless or irrelevant emails.

Do reply with a courteous “received” or “got it” Do reply with a courteous “received” or “got it”. Be courteous and let people know you received their email! Even if you aren’t responding in full at the time, just say “Great, thanks!” Don’t send chain emails. Read #4 again and don’t clog people’s emails with useless or irrelevant email. State the purpose clearly. Remember the people want to read their emails quickly so get to the point! Don’t overuse exclamation points.  Exclamation points and other indications of excitement such as emoticons, abbreviations like LOL, and all CAPITALS do not translate well in business communications. Leave them off unless you know the recipient extremely well. It’s also not professional to use a string of exclamation points!!!!!

Do check your emotions. Take a deep breath, pause for a moment, and check your emotions before sending most emails. Never send an angry email, or give a quick response. Give your message some thoughtful consideration before sending it. Make sure your emails are diplomatic, professional, and as polished as possible. The practice of proofreading one another’s emails has actually been really insightful in understanding perception. It’s taught us about how people read tones and how to even clean up the email to be clearer and more concise (See #2). If you’re not sure, ask someone else to proof your email. Do set up a vacation auto-responder. If you are going away for more than two days, please use a vacation notification. Let people know that you won’t be responding to their emails, rather than have them wondering if their email went to spam or you’re ignoring them.

Don’t send stuff you don’t want seen or read in company email Don’t send stuff you don’t want seen or read in company email! Seriously, your company is probably not reading every email you send, but for safety sake, get into the mindset that they have an elf in the basement reading every single email you send waiting to tattle to your boss if you mess up. Do keep private or controversial material confidential. It is far too easy to share emails, even inadvertently, so pay special attention to the types of things you discuss in the workplace. Work is not the place to discuss personal or confidential information. If you have highly personal or confidential information, do so in person or over the phone. Ask permission before posting sensitive material either in the body of the email or in an attachment.

BONUS. Do use an accurate subject line BONUS! Do use an accurate subject line. If you are pitching someone, make it intriguing so they want to open it. If you’re working with someone, make sure it’s specific to the conversation. It should be memorable, as in “what keywords would I search if I was trying to find this email?” Examples: Good subject line: “NYU Graduate, published author seeking content writer position” Bad subject line: “Content writer position” (Where’s the intrigue? Why should I open this compared to all the others? How can I easily search this compared to all the others?) BONUS! Do set up an adult email. The email address you used in middle or high school might need an upgrade: kittykatgal679@gmail.com or teenstud247@hotmail.comis probably not a good representation. It’s time to use your name as your email.

Do’s Of Email Etiquette Do proofread your email. Do be clear, concise, and thorough. Do begin with a proper greeting. Do make sure you have a signature. Do use BCC if you’re emailing a bunch of people. Do reply with a courteous “received” or “got it”. Do state your purpose clearly. Do check your emotions. Do use an accurate subject line. Do set up a vacation auto-responder. Do set up an adult email.

Don’ts Of Email Etiquette (Don’t forget to proofread your email) Don’t send stupid chain emails. Don’t send stuff you don’t want seen or read via company email! Don’t use unprofessional email addresses.