E-mail
is a powerful communications tool. But like any power, judicious
use is essential. One e-mail can launch an interoffice war, cost
someone her job, or miff a relative to a degree that ice accumulates
six inches thick. The lesson is simple: Don’t take e-mail for granted.
E-mail is a paradox and culturally confusing. It’s written,
like a letter; yet electronic, like the telephone. It’s a combination of
the two, but not a fax. It’s formatted for memos; but sent instead of letters
for faster delivery. Yet, it’s only hard copy once printed.
The appropriateness of its use is not always clear. Would
a conservative business prospect accept a proposal as an e-mail? Should
you send Great Aunt Margaret an electronic thank-you note?
Imbuing e-mail with clarity and impact commands good manners,
solid personal values and professional ethics. Keep these tips in
mind:
Personal Appearances Count
E-mail represents you in absentia, so present yourself
well. Check grammar and spelling, and consider fonts and format. Provide
a meaningful subject title, and edit a message as you would any memo, letter
or report. You never know when your e-mail will “wander” up the chain of
command.
Conform to the accepted standards of your e-mail community.
Styles differ from audience to audience, so focus on your reader. Let the
key message and good writing speak for themselves, all the while keeping
your ego in check.
E-mail software differs from site to site, so what the
recipient sees may not look like what you send. Before sending graphically
enhanced messages, ensure the recipient’s e-mail system is compatible.
Otherwise, use plain text.
Be considerate with attached files; some are time-consuming
to download. Some recipients lack the capacity to handle them while others
lack the software for optimal transfer. When in doubt, cut and paste text
from the document you wish to transfer into your e-mail message. When sending
large files, remember that compacted files take less time to download.
When you respect others’ time and resources, you look good.
Practice E-mail Etiquette
Etiquette is a key to business and personal success.
Not surprisingly, etiquette also applies to the virtual world of e-mail.
- Express ideas clearly, briefly, respectfully. Remember the
magic of “please” and “thank you,”and avoid offensive language. But where
it is acceptable, consider keyboard euphemisms. $#!+ conveys meaning
- as clearly as the word itself. Some audiences are comfortable
with the use of emoticons, e-mail’s universal visual cues.
- Don’t use all caps, or you’ll be perceived as shouting. Conversely,
don’t use all lower case letters; it’s the equivalent of whispering.
- If an e-mail is confusing, politely request clarification.
After all, in a business meeting it’s acceptable to request clarification
to understand the speaker’s meaning.
- Reply to e-mail within a day. If you cannot respond in full
promptly, send a short note stating you’ve received the message and will
respond when time allows. If you’re out of town or in a lengthy meeting,
use the auto-response feature.
- Quote the sender in a reply for reference. Use the accepted
convention of preceding each quoted line with a right-facing arrowhead
( > ). Post your comments after each quote. It’s rude and unsophisticated
to quote a lengthy message only to say “I agree” at the end. Quote only
what is necessary, then make your point.
- The capacity to forward e-mail requires judicious use, including
respect for confidentiality and the rights associated with authorship.
Think Twice; Click “Send” Once
You can hang up the telephone, cancel a fax, or even
retrieve a letter from the mailroom. But once you click “Send”, consider
e-mail irretrievable. Therefore, reread your outgoing message as if you
were the recipient. Treat an e-mail as if it were a post card, for all
the world to read.
Set aside a critical or emotional e-mail and wait, then
edit and re-edit as necessary. Perhaps you would want to have a trusted
colleague review it. Some programs have an “Unsend” feature, but don’t
rely on it.
Separate Personal from Professional
Keep your professional e-mail account squeaky-clean.
Steamy love notes, gossip, and personal vendettas never work in the workplace.
If you receive unwanted messages, respond politely that you won’t be party
to the discussion.
Web Sites Useful for Learning About E-mail:
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Keep your personal and professional e-mails in separate accounts.
Many Internet companies now offer free accounts, and some services offer
additional screen name options. Family, friends and those who are sharing
jokes should use the personal account.
And remember, “Delete” doesn’t truly erase a message.
On a network, e-mail is stored on a file server while in transit. Servers
are backed up, and backup tapes are stored.
Good E-mail Housekeeping Prevents Virtual Disaster
Your e-mail software allows you to create a filing system,
so take the time to find out how to organize your files for easy retrieval.
It is best to keep your “in” and “out” boxes clear, routinely transferring
these files into accessible storage. Remember to backup important messages.
As the use of e-mail increases, it is becoming important
to be able to control it. You can use filters to sort and prioritize
inbound messages. Be selective about subscriptions to newsgroups, ezines
and list services, choosing only those you will actually read or channeling
them to another account or screen name. If you only use one computer, use
the automatic download feature for e-mail.
Envision e-mail as you, incarnated in cyberspace. Harness
the power of this communications tool by using it wisely and considerately,
and reap the benefits.
Marcia Drucker is a past president of the Washington,
DC Chapter. She specializes in Marketing Communications for technology
and online businesses.
| Business Writers Pick their
Terms
Is it e-mail, E-mail or email; online or on-line; Net,
Internet or internet; Web site, web site or website?
Respondents to Writing That Works newsletter’s eighth
annual usage survey favor e-mail (74%), online (66%), Internet (73%) and,
by a narrow margin, Web site (39%). The writers and editors divide on some
traditional grammar questions. Half of the 213 respondents accept who as
an object and none as a plural pronoun. More than half (69%) prefer data
as a singular. The full survey report appears in the January 1999 issue
of Writing That Works. More details on the Eighth Annual Usage Survey and
a summary of the Seventh Annual Usage Survey are available at the Writing
That Works Web site, www.writingthatworks.com. |
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