Email etiquette part II

| Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Use reply function correctly
• Keep original subject line intact
• Add reply above the original message
Emotion symbols
•No emotion symbols in business mails
•Commonly used emoticons like J ,L
Check spelling
•Use your auto spell-checking program
•Manual spell check
Example:
It can't distinguish between to, two, and too or its and it's
Attach documents to messages
•Brief about attachment
•Do not attach unnecessary files
•Do not copy attachment without permission
Create a signature file
• Identification
• Alternate ways of reaching
Hi - when did you want to go to lunch?
Neha Rajen, Software Engineer
ABC Software Pvt Ltd.( An SEI-CMMI Level 5 assessed & ISO 27001 Company)
Pune - 411 006, India
Telephone: +91-020-66044700 x 1512
Fax : +91-020-66044700 -1512
neharajen@gmail.com (personal)
www.abc.com
Prioritize message
•Assign high, normal, or low priority
•Helps readers decide how quickly to read and respond
Ø Attractive subject line
Ø Provide strong lead
Ø Select right tone
Ø Provide executive summary
Ø Inverted pyramid of ideas
Ø Sentences on a diet
Ø Avoid e-mail pitfalls
Ø Format the message
Attractive subject line
• Capture the recipient's attention
• Clear and concise
e.g. Prefer "Third quarter sales up by15%“
over "Quarterly results“
Provide strong lead
• Grab the reader's attention
• Include salutation and signature

Select the right tone
Think about the five W's
• Who
• What
• Why
• When
• Where
Provide executive summary
• Brief summary in non-technical, conversational
language
• Enables reader to understand message
• Maintains reader’s interest
Inverted pyramid of ideas
• Put descending order of importance
Sentences on diet
• Easy to comprehend
• No searching of buried ideas
Avoid e-mail pitfalls
• Don't vent
• No humor
• Careful with abbreviations and acronyms
• Avoid yelling
Format the message
• Right Typeface
- Proper font and size
• Proper Emphasis
- Bulleted list or italicizing, underlining
• Screen Color
- Neutral or light background with dark letters in the foreground
• Appropriate Margins
žSummary
Ø Write a meaningful subject line
Ø Keep the message focused and readable
Ø Be concise and to the point
Ø Distinguish between formal and informal situations
Ø Respond promptly
Ø Do not attach unnecessary files
Ø Use proper structure & layout
Ø Show respect and restraint

Email Etiquettes

|
‘Leadership and communication are inseparable.
You can’t have one without the other.’
lEmail: What is it?
lEmail is a conversation that does not require an immediate response
–Not interactive
lUnlike a telephone or Instant Message
–Receiver can deal with it when they can
lWhat is Email Etiquette?
Etiquette is defined as the rules governing socially acceptable behavior. Socially
acceptable behavior varies greatly depending on who you are with, your
relationship to that person, and the environment that you are in.
Øwriting to coworkers
Øwriting to coworkers supervisor or administrators
lWhy do you need email etiquette?
lProfessionalism
lEfficiency
lProtection from liability
lGeneral email format
lTo, Cc, Bcc
lSubject line
–Short descriptive
–Replying to messages
lBody
–Salutations
–Attachment
–Signature
lGeneral email format
lSalutation:
Ø Hi
Can be used to anyone… any superior or any group of people.
Ø Hello
Good to use when the recipient is at equal level to you
Ø Dear
Generally it is used by any superior to give a comfort level to the junior recipient.
Ø Mail can start directly with name, but not in case if the recipient is at a superior position.
lGeneral email format
lMail Body:
ØThis is the actual thing, you want to convey through this mail…
ØAnything that you write, reflects your personality.
lGeneral email format
lAttachments:
ØKeep in mind your organization policies while sending any file via email.
ØFollow a proper naming convention and proper versioning for attachments.
ØFile names should be clear enough to understand its contents.
lGeneral email format
lSignature:
ØUsually consists of
•Name
•Designation / Department
•Organization
•Contact details
•Official URL, if any
ØSignature format should be constant for every mail
ØSimple and decent
ØAvoid too much animations and graphics in the signature
lWhat are the etiquette rules?
lBe concise and to the point
lAnswer all questions
lUse proper spelling, grammar & punctuation
lUse templates for frequently used responses
lDo not attach unnecessary files
lDo not overuse the high priority option
lDo not write in CAPITALS
l Don't leave out the message thread
lRead the email before you send it
lDo not overuse Reply to All
lTake care with abbreviations and emoticons
lBe careful with formatting
lDo not use email to discuss confidential information
lUse active instead of passive
lAvoid long sentences
lKeep your language gender neutral
lDon't reply to spam
lUse cc: field sparingly
lInteractions with American clients
lDo not write "the same" in an email - it makes little sense to them.
lDo not write or say, "I have some doubts on this issue"
lThe term "regard" is not used much in American English
lThere is no actual word called “prepone”
lInteractions with American clients
lTerms such as "September End", "Month End", "Day End"
lAmericans have weird conventions for time Better to ask them the exact time
lIndians commonly use the terms "Today Evening", "Today Night” , "Yesterday Night" and "Yesterday Evening".
lInteractions with American clients
lThere is no word called "Updation"
lAvoid using the words
–Back
–But
–Yesterday
–Tomorrow