Professional Email Etiquette You Need to Observe Going Forward

2022-10-11T16:58:56+00:00

By TRWCBlogger

There are some crucial yet obvious ethics and conduct we take for granted while we write.Carelessness in writing has worsened since the advent of SMS and other instant message applications. Many do not bother to cross-check what they have typed or written because they are usually eager to post, react or ‘break the news’, especially on social media.When communication is not appropriately decoded by the receiver, the essence of communication is ultimately defeated. Listening to respond is the rave; this is usually manifested in quick response without a proper second thought before hitting on the ‘send’ button on the keyboard.In a similar vein, many do transfer the habit of writing in short-hand into formal communication. It is common to find in formal writing improper abbreviations like ‘U’ for ‘you’, ‘abt’ for ‘about’. The habit is frequent majorly among Millennials. Adolescents and young adults are usually in a hurry going nowhere. They make more haste with less speed.This is not to say certain writing conventions are not totally allowed in formal writing, especially email communication. Unlike social abbreviations, some common abbreviations or acronyms are allowed. It is allowed to write ‘ASAP’ As Soon As Possible, ‘AWOL’ Absence Without Leave’, ‘MIA’ Missing in Action, and ‘B2B’ Business to Business.These examples and some specialized abbreviations or acronyms in different professional fields that are understood by those in the profession are allowed to be used within the right circle. An example is the kind of communication among personnel in defence intelligence and the military.

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Generally, there are certain conventions every individual must abide by in email communication – because email is deemed as a formal channel of communication, irrespective of the relationship status of the parties sending or receiving the communication. The following points are to be noted in order not to flout global conventions in email communication:

Include a subject in your e-mail. Apart from clarifying the content of your mail, a meaningful subject helps your reader to prioritize reading your e-mail.
Salutation and postscript: Brisk greeting by way of salutation is essential, both at the beginning and end of the email, irrespective of who you are exchanging communication with.
Use Business-like language. Avoid the use of social abbreviations like ‘LoL’ Laugh out Loud/Lots of Love, ‘BrB’ Be right Back and others.
Be careful with picking your words. Instead of saying ‘I’m stressed’ you can say ‘I am bracing the pressure’. Similarly, ‘challenge’ can always replace ‘problem’.
Be consistent with your spelling. Always verify correct spelling and application with spell-check and a dictionary.
You should deploy your punctuation appropriately. Do not use smileys (emoticons) to replace punctuations. In fact, not everyone knows their meaning.
Avoid the use of CAPS as much as possible. Uppercase in writing is a way to emphasise a point, but if it is often repeated it may send a wrong signal like panic, urgency and emergency. It may even amount to shouting at your interlocutor.
Sarcasm and witty sayings: Your readers are not in your head. They do not know your mood when you are composing your message and they may not actually know the crux of the message you are trying to pass across. So they have the luxury to determine and interpret your tone from your writing. Make it strictly professional.
Brevity and Conciseness: Unnecessary engagements in your e-mail are not encouraged. Avoid gossip, irrelevant detail, narration or extensive. Make it short and to the point. If there is additional information or clarification to be provided, make it face-to-face or through telephone conversation.
Proofreading: Re-reading your draft is very important so that you would correct any unforeseen oversight.

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As a closing shot, cultivate the habit of replying to relevant messages requiring your attention with civil words and calmness as and when due, whether by email, SMS, instant messages, comments or other channels. This is what will portray you as a civilized being in the corporate world. Temidayo Babatunde is Facilitator/Master Trainer with the British Council Nigeria and UNESCO’s The Digital Teacher Africa Initiatives for transferring virtual teaching skill-set to teachers. He can be reached via his LinkedIn ([email protected])