Today we live in a technologically revolutionised environment and words like facebook or email are common to the ordinary man. It's been long since we have seen letters coming via post boxes but the use of emails have increased day by day and we more or less communicate serious matters over mails, not chats, as they provide later as a proof of communication too.
Now my question is are there any rules for emails, you may get loads by searching in google or so, but what I feel are the below simple rules can help you write a better email, try this and find the dufference for yourself.
1) Always use an active voice in your mails (Eg: My plane is coming at 5:30 PM in New York and I will reach the meeting by 8PM). This shows your assurance and the reader can be sure about your plan/intentions rather than guessing this is what the sender thought (this can be pretty dangerous).
2) Always make sure you address the person by his/her name, first name in full for official emails, pet names if any in personal mails is fine, but simply avoid this in official mails. This is because the same mail may be needed by someone else and can be forwarded to others and using pet names is not considered a standard practice. If you are sending to a group of people use "Hi Team, Hi All' to address them. Ensure that you do not include pet names or jokes if you are sending to a person the first time as he/she can take it in a wrong sense and the same applies while sending to a group (especially if subject of mail is something serious).
3) Keep your mail clear and concise. By clear I mean the message that you plan to deliver should reach the reader without confusing them. (Eg:"It's pretty cold here and blockages in the road can block me on the way to office and my reaching on time can be a big blockage" kind of things are simply confusing). Keep your mail short, try to deliver as much as you want and detailed explanations are not needed (unless asked to).
4) Avoid too many smileys (they do not look good in corporate world) and avoid such strange symbols like ! (exclamation mark). Some people have a habit of adding them to each and every situation and this looks odd (Eg: I heard you are writing the exam. All the best!!!!...This sounds like the person is really wondering you have any luck at all for passing the exam). The thumb rule here is if unsure dont use any smileys or exclamations.
5)Avoid negative sentences in emails but better phrase them well with reason (Eg: Who the hell are you to say this can be started can sound negative and harsh. On the contrary "I beleive we need further communications/approvals to start the same" can deliver the message more positively).
6) Avoid contradicting statements or unintentionally problematic statements in emails (Eg: James did not finish thw work and is lazy. As I am on a tour, James will attend this meeting on behalf of me)
7) Use a constant font (a generalised Cambria font 11 or Times New Roman will do) throughout the mail. As your mail is concise, no need to keep some portion bold, highlighted in red or so (unless asked to) as each and every part of your email is important and must be read. People have a general habit to just check the bold or highlighted part and by this way some other meaning conveyed in normal font may be missed.
8) Use a standard signature in all official mails (avoid Yours lovingly kind of stuff here as its an email). The signature should contailn the email id to conatct you and a cell/phone number that can be used to reach you.
9)Make sure you send emails to only people who are concerned with the matter. Avoid sending to a distribution list unless necessary.
10)Avoid making a lot of paragraphs (2 paragraphs is enough in a mail) as we are writing an email, not an essay, it should be concise.People hate reading long mails.
11) Avoid short forms in emails unless you are sure the other person is aware of that term ( Eg: I will be in PTO till 24th of May, so expect a delay in responses. People in western countries get a Paid Time Off or PTO and in some cultures it's not present so make sure you understand to who you are sending)
12) Avoid BCC (hiding recepients) if possible in emails. If it involves a lot of people and the recepient needs to give a reply, he may not know who all to reply. In simple emails, this is fine, but better avoid it, unless necessary.
13) Try to avoid degrading, threatening, racist or immoral messages in emails even do not forward such emails, this can cause troubles which are far beyond your control.
14) Try to keep a meaningful subject line (never leave it blank) for your email, this always helps.
15)Proof read your email (read again after writing, spell check, grammer check) before clicking send button. Once send there is no way you can change what you have sent. (recall may not work everytime). If in doubt, call a trusted friend/colleague to proof read your email (avoid disclosing confidential matters to others)
16) In official emails if you are writing to an unknown person, make clear who you are in the email (in signature also this can be done) and on what purpose and on whose direction (if needed) you are contacting that person. This will avoid delays and confusions. Everyone are busy so in initial communication if we cover these things, further communications will go smooth.
17) Do not assume the mentality of the reader. Keep messages gender free and no need to drag in controversial opinions or discussions where it is unnecessary, stay neutral.
18) Avoid excessive compliments or flattery as people may think this as a way of buttering/you want something from them. Make genuine statements of compliments if needed.
19) Emails are not a place to show you are William Shakespeare (Eg: With the profound intellectuality of recent events, we can merchandise the things equivalently). Keep your emails clear and simple, use simple English that everyone understands.
20) Avoid excessive questions in one mail (one question one mail is the maximum as more questions can confuse readers). Make sure you state the benefits (if any) from the email or its action items.
21) Avoid writing in capital letters (and bold unless strictly needed). This gives a screaming feeling to the reader and in some cultures it's considered insulting.
22) Avoid unnecessary attachments. If a person asks you a Word document, just attach and send that, no need to send five or six supporting documents you used to prepare that word document.
23) Avoid the "Reply All" and "Forward" button for every mail you receive. This helps you to effectively communicate and avoid server congestions.
24)Avoid highly confidential matters in emails if possible, as security is always an issue.
25) Avoid using unnecessary phrases like (URGENT, EMERGENCY etc). The reciever may get around 100 mails per day so you can't judge what's important for you is important for the reader. Everyone considers their emails as important.
26) Avoid replying to spam mails (if official mail, report them) or disclose your ID to unknown people.
27) Use visual aids (a screenshot or so) if needed as it helps the reader understand your concern better.
28) Try to avoid assuming things, you may know something (may be a technical term) of which the reader is unaware of, keep yourself in the readers show while composing any mail.This knowledge gap can waste much time if not handled properly.
29)If you are sending to people in other time zones, delays are possible , especially on Monday mornings (after weekend many mails are there). So choose a suitable time to send your mail (or expect a reply)
30) Always reply the genuine mails you receive, show acknowledgement and appreciate (dont over do it) the other persons time and effort.
