Business email

Remember back in the old days when we used to actually write letters and business memos? I mean literally write, with a pen and paper. I still love seeing actual handwriting in my mail. The reality is, of course, that we are much more efficient using email.

As much as I love hand written letters, I love email too. The problem is that email has become the victim of its own success. The fact that it is so easy and quick seems to allow us think more quickly, and unfortunately, our fingers can't always keep up. In addition, because it is quick, we tend to think it is totally informal. Both of these issues add up to a lot of sloppy email.

A business correspondence, done over email, should be treated with the same care that a letter, written on your company overhead, would deserve. Granted, some email is informal, and can be treated as such, depending on your level of familiarity with the recipient. But, there are some basic rules that should be kept in mind, even in informal email.

Beginning with the subject line, I suggest you always use it. Simply putting the topic of the message in there is sufficient. It gives the reader a quick indication of what it is about and gives them the option of reading it right away, or saving it for later. Without a topic, it might not get read at all.

Reading from a PC is not the same as reading from paper. Keep that in mind when writing an email. Keep paragraphs short to allow for white space, making the message easier to read. A brief message with short sentences can get the message across without being a burden to the reader

Punctuation is critical in email. Many of us forget to use it, especially when writing short notes. A sentence with no punctuation is difficult to read and often is ambiguous depending on where the reader decides to insert commas.

Reading an email in all caps is probably the most vocalized annoyance. The writer appears to be shouting, and that is completely unnecessary. If you feel the need to user larger letters, increase the font. Don't use all caps.

Salutations are often forgotten. Would you think of writing a letter without a "Dear John" or at least "John"? Remember, this is a business letter. For the ending, make sure you have your name at the bottom, and depending on the formality of the note, "Sincerely" or "Yours Truly" are generally appropriate.

Spellcheck and proofread. This is critical. A few common mistakes that won't be picked up by a spellchecker are:

Too, to, two: "You too, need to check two times."
Then, than: Then indicates time. "He is more fun than you are."
Your, you're: "Your email implies that you're half asleep."
Our, are: Our indicates possession. "Our notes are short."

I am sure you can add a few of your own pet peeves to this list. There are a lot of them our there, and many email programs do not have grammar checkers. Be careful.

Most importantly, remember to reread your mail before you send it. You will be surprised at how many little mistakes you will find. Remember, your fingers cannot go as fast as you would like and they are bound to make errors. Fixing them before you press "send" is the key.