Email Tips : Top Rules for Email Etiquette

E-mailing has changed the way we write, but that does not mean that we can forget all the rules that governed the conventional mode of written communication. When it comes to writing e-mails for business or for that crucial job application, you need to be all the more cautious and write with a professional flair.

In this write-up you will come across the most important tips to bear in mind while writing an e-mail that will make the right impression on the receiver or the reader.

Watch the Tone and language

• Address the person formally with their appropriate title and end with a proper note
• Use professional terms and phrases and avoid abbreviated forms
• Keep the written format as polite as possible by using the appropriate words. Also, avoid capitalizations unless necessary.
• Use the same fonts throughout the mail, do not use larger fonts and avoid adding any color.
• Check and double check grammar, spelling and typos through automated and manual checking

Mind the Content

• How you write a certain thing matters but what is more important is what you are actually writing. Stick to the main reason why you are writing the mail and keep it short. Writing longer mails with detailed explanations can only make these reach the trash bin soon after they are opened by the receiver.
• Define a format and adhere to it. State your objective for writing the mail, refer to any attachments present in the mail and keep your content professional by avoiding the use of emoticons or informal email addresses.
• As for the attachments, you can ask beforehand whether these can be sent or not. Nowadays, with many mails circulating on the net with viruses, people have become vary of opening mails with attachments or links to other sites.
• The best way to write the email is draft it beforehand on any of the writing software and then paste it in the compose message box. That way, you can carefully check the details and when you are sure about the same you can just fill in the subject and the recipient's address in the 'TO' field to avoid any accidental mistakes.

These etiquette tips have been drafted as a result of the most common mistakes that people make while sending an e-mail. Make sure you follow these the next time you write one so that your e-mail can make the desired impact.