Work At Home Adventures

E-mail rules the office, and there are definite e-mail rules.  To come across the Internet in the most professional manner, pay attention to the details of electronic communication and avoid these e-mail errors.

Omitting the subject line. We are way past the time when we didn’t realize the significance of the subject line.  It makes no sense to send a message that reads “no subject” and seems to be about nothing.   Given the huge volume of e-mail that each person receives, the subject header is essential if you want your message read any time soon.  The subject line has become the hook.

Not personalizing the message to your recipient. E-mail is informal but it still needs a greeting.  When you are addressing a client, open with “Dear,” “Hello” or “Good Morning,” followed by the person’s name.  When communicating with your boss or someone else in the office, you may skip the salutation, but use the person’s name in your first sentence.

Forgetting to check spelling and grammar. In the early days of e-mail, it may have been okay to use shorthand and forget grammar.  But now you can’t risk sacrificing your professional credibility. If you don’t check to ensure that your e-mail is correct, people will question the caliber of other work you do.

Leaving off your signature.  Always close with your name, even though it is included at the top of the e-mail, and add contact information such as your phone, fax and street address.  The recipient may want to call you to talk further or send you documents that cannot be e-mailed. Creating a formal signature block with all that data is the most professional approach.

Completing the “TO” line first.  The name or address of the person to whom you are writing is actually the last piece of information you should enter. Check everything else over carefully first. Proof for grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity.  If you enter the recipient’s name first, a mere slip of the finger can send a message before its’ time.  You can never take it back.

These five tips for ensuring that your e-mail messages represent you in the most professional manner merely scratch the surface of the issue.  Look for more in this series of “E-mail Errors To Avoid” in the next two weeks.

Lydia Ramsey is a professional speaker, corporate trainer and the author of Manners That Sell: Adding The Polish That Builds Profits. You may call her at 912-598-9812 or visit her web site at http://www.mannersthatsell.com