In the corporate world emails are one of the main ways we communicate. Email is simple-to-use, instantaneous and far more convenient than face-to-face meetings or telephone calls.
Unfortunately one of the things people tend to forget when writing emails, especially in a business capacity, is that they are still communicating in a formal manner. That means, like when writing a business letter, there are certain rules that need to be followed and certain errors that should always be avoided.
The following is a list of dos and don'ts that will help you compose more professional emails, get the results you want and maintain your (and your company's) credibility.
Do be mindful of your tone. While it can be very difficult to convey emotions in an email, or any writing for that matter, you should try to be as friendly and respectable as possible. Avoid using all caps because IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE YOU'RE SHOUTING, and at the same time don't use all lowercase letters either. (You aren't e. e. cummings and never will be. Capitalise.)
Don't have vague subject lines. Your subject line should be right to the point, for example, if your email is about all the staff having to reregister for their parking permits, the subject line should read ‘Reregister for Parking Permits', and not simply ‘Reregister' or ‘Parking Permits'
Don't have bulky paragraphs that exceed about six lines. Important information can get lost in a jumble of words; avoid this by having a number of one-line paragraphs or a bullet list so that each item can be given due attention.
Do remember your manners. Because it's so difficult to convey tone in writing, being polite is key when composing emails. Always remember to say ‘please' and ‘thank you' and always be sincere.
Do begin your email with the main point you want to impart. Preamble in emails is often unnecessary and can make the recipient feel as though they have unwittingly joined a book club. Stick to what you want to say without all the build-up.
Do proofread your email before you send it. Check all spelling and grammar manually (automatic spell-checkers are not infallible and can leave you very red in the face once you reread what you've sent) and make any changes that are necessary. In fact, don't even enter the recipient's email address in the ‘To' field until you are 100% certain about the content, this way you won't prematurely send any messages before you've had a chance to edit them.
Don't use emoticons. Ever. Unless you want it to look like you've just figured out how to send an email, or that you're a 13-year-old girl, avoid using smileys and little images like the plague. They are not cute and they are not professional.
Do add a signature to your email. Information like your name, contact number and company name (and legal disclaimer if so required by your business) are important to have on your email. Do not, however, use the signature block for clever quotes and images unless this somehow ties in with your business (photography, for example).
And finally, don't ever use ‘text speak.' One of the biggest irritations for people receiving emails is an unprofessional approach where words like ‘please' are abbreviated to PLZ, or LOL (Laugh Out Loud) is used to illustrate laughter. Emails like this might get the recipient to ROFL (Roll On the Floor Laughing), but I can tell you now it won't be for the right reasons.