Training Material on Email Etiquette

1. Email Etiquette
A good attire to email

2. What is an Email?
"you cannot send packages by electronic mail"
Electronic mail, a system of world-wide
electronic communication in which a
computer user can compose a message at one
terminal that can be regenerated at the
recipient's terminal when the recipient logs in.

3. • Usually it is implied that if you have included someone in the "To:" field, then he/she is an intended recipient and should reply,
if required
• If someone is in the "Cc:" field, then the email is merely an FYI ('for your information') for him/her, and he/she is not expected
to reply
Use the "To:" and "Cc:" fields appropriately

4. • When someone scans through a new email, he/she
initially reads is the subject line
• This helps the recipient to decide whether to open, reply
or forward
• The Subject clearly summarizes your e-mail’s intentions
• Do not ever send an email with an empty subject line
• Subject line should be within 40 characters
• Do not have the subject as "Hi" or "Hello there"
Make the Subject Line clear and concise

5. • When an email has more than one recipient,
there is the danger of nobody replying because
everyone thinks that someone else has already
replied
• That is why "Reply to All" might be a good idea
to show that you have already replied so that
somebody else does not later duplicate the
information you have just provided
Use the fields appropriately

6. To make your email easy to read :-
1. Use Shorter Paragraphs - Consider breaking up
paragraphs to only a few sentences
2. Use Less Words - Long sentences are not appropriate for
most e-mail, especially business e-mail. Keep your
sentences to a maximum of 12-15 words
3. Keep it Short - A good rule of thumb is to keep
everything on one "page" or one "screen"
4. Provide blank lines between each paragraph
The Layout
Usually people find it hard to read words on a computer screen than on paper

7. • Poor spelling and grammar show a lack of attention to detail
and sends the wrong message
• By reading your e-mail over before you send it, you can catch
and correct mistakes before the recipient and possibly create a
bad impression or put you and/or your company in hot water
• Spell checker won't catch every mistake, at the very least it will
catch a few typos
Proof Read
If you are sending a message to your client or a higher
chain of command (a manager), take extra time before
you hit "send"

8. Do not use the following:
Smiles
E.g.: :-), :-( etc.
Abbreviations
E.g.: IIRC for "if I recall correctly", BTW for “by the way”,
LOL for "laughing out loud,"
Non-standard punctuation and spellings
E.g.: gimme (give me), tht (that), dificlt (difficult), vil (will), etc.
ALL-CAPS MEANS SHOUTING
Regardless of your intentions, people will interpret this as your being aggressive.
Use Appropriate Language

9. DO’s
• Write an informative subject line
• Be courteous
• Put the key point of your message up front
• Make it easy for the reader to reply yes or no
or give a short answer
• End well with an appropriate next step
• Wait and check before pressing 'send' –
Proof-read
• Respond promptly
Let’s recap
DON’T s
• Don't leave the Subject Line blank
• Don't use emoticons or abbreviations
• Don’t assume that people have time to read
your entire message
• Don’t think that an e-mail is good for
everything
• Don’t write an e-mail when you are rushed

10. Thank you