Email Etiquette - Part 1

The use of e-mail in our culture is pervasive. I rarely get letters any more. I get scores of e-mail messages every day. I have noticed email etiquette is maturing and I would like to offer you the first in a series of articles to improve e-mail communication and etiquette:

1. The difference between "To" and "CC." The more people you send an email to, the less likely any single person will respond to it, much less perform any action that you requested. The people you include in the "To" field should be the people you expect to read and respond to the message. The "CC" field should be used sparingly. You should only CC people who have a need to stay in the know. The "BCC" field should be used even more sparingly. People you include in the "BCC" field will not visible to others.

2. Keep messages brief and to the point. Make your most important point first, then provide detail if necessary. Make it clear at the beginning of the message why you are writing. The recipient should not have to wade through a long message to get to the point; this is not good email etiquette. If you send long messages, it is much less likely that the person will act on what you have sent or respond to it. It's just too much work; people often do not have time to read long rambling emails. It often gets set aside and, unfortunately, forgotten.

3. Don't discuss multiple subjects in a single message. If you need to discuss more than one subject, send multiple e-mails, or for easy of reading and email etiquette, put the subjects in bullet points, or numbers. Include the topics in the subject line, e.g. upcoming meetings in April. This makes it easier to scan the subject lines later to find the message you need. It also contributes to briefer e-mail messages and a greater likelihood of a response. Also, the more specific you can be about your subject heading, the better.

4. Reply in a timely manner. I don't think e-mail etiquette demands an instantaneous response from the reader. Responding once or twice a day is sufficient, unless you are in sales, customer service, tech support, or some other field where a faster response is expected. Regardless, you must reply in a timely manner, otherwise it will decrease the effectiveness of this expeditious form of communication.

To continue improving your e-mail etiquette and the effectiveness of your email conversations try to think of it as not only just a fast and simple way to communicate but also a way to build and grow trust and a relationship with the person you are emailing.

Thanks to proper online marketing training Barb Hauge is an online business owner who teaches new and experienced entrepreneurs the secrets of how to succeed. Apply directly to become part of Barb's entrepreneurial team at barbarahauge.net. Learn more about Barb and how she can help you. barbarahauge.com.

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