15 Sep Emailing Do’s And Don’ts
Emailing Do’s And Don’ts
In today’s day and age, it is very easy to think of an email as an “everyday” task that can’t be that difficult to create. However, along with modern forms of communication such as texting, & social media platforms, it is important to get your message right in order to avoid tension, confusion or other negative consequences.
After coming from being a graphic design student with no real experience in email etiquette besides from the odd email to a fellow student or a family member, I fell into that category of thinking of emails as that “easy” task that shouldn’t take long to grasp. However, I was very wrong as this transfer over to Account/Project management proved this to be the exact opposite of what I thought it to be.
In writing an email, you have to ensure that you think about what the person on the other end will be reading. To achieve this you can use the following :
- Have a clear subject line
- Don’t over-communicate
- Keep your messages clear
- Be polite
- Write as if you are talking to the individual in person
- Check that your tone is correct and professional
- Proof read and if necessary, get someone else to proof read
When you have worked in project management for a while, it can become very easy to form a friendship-type relationship with some of your clients and in return your emails and communication in general do seem to become a bit more colloquial than with others. Although in some areas of the workplace, this can be acceptable such as when in a meeting. However, It is best to keep all your communications as professional as possible. In the end, you need to be respected in the workplace and by speaking to a client as you would do a best friend, you open yourself up to a number of issues.
Lastly, respond timeously. People use emailing as modern day communication. Therefore, not getting a response can be related to you asking someone a question in person and only getting a response 2 days later. This just wouldn’t do. Yes we all live busy lives – I learnt this the hard way as a new Account Manager. However, it is important that you respond to emails as quick as possible to ensure that frustration is avoided.