2. The Dos and Don'ts of Business Email
Etiquette
Dr. Eng. Ahmed El Shiekh
ahmedelshiekh@hotmail.com
3.
4. Do’s
Do Pay Attention to The Subject Line
• Write a clear, concise subject line that
reflects the body of the email. Avoid subject
lines with general words like, “Hi,” “Touching
Base,” or “FYI,” and do not leave the subject
line blank.
Do Use a Proper Salutation
• “Hi” and “Hey” communicate a lack
of professionalism and maturity. Begin your
email with phrases such as “Good morning,”
“Good afternoon,” “Good evening,” or
“Hello.” “Good day” or “Greetings” are other
phrases used frequently in the international
arena.
5. Do’s
Do Use an Introduction
• In cultures like the Middle East., the best practice
is for the sender to introduce themselves by first
and last name with some background information
in the first few lines. For example, “Dear Ms.
Dema: My name is Ahmed Mohamed, founder of
Access to Culture. I was referred to you by . . .” or
“My name is Ahmed Mohamed, and I am an
International Business Expert writing to you about
. . .” This is especially important when introducing
yourself to new contacts, potential customers,
clients, and employers who want to know how
you received their contact information.
6. Do’s
Do Know The Culture
• When sending emails to people from
indirect cultures, it is proper protocol and a
best practice to research country customs.
For example, in Japan, it is polite,
appropriate, and customary to inquire about
the weather in the first sentence of a
business email. Contrastingly, it would be
inappropriate to send an email introducing
yourself to a potential Japanese contact. In
indirect cultures, introductions are only
made by mutually respected third parties
due to custom; cold emails are ignored,
deleted, blocked, and/or marked as junk.
7. Do’s
Do Double-Check Your Attachments
• When you attach a file, be kind enough to
take a few extra seconds to paste it into
the body of the email as well. This shows
consideration to the recipient, by saving
them time and risk in opening
attachments.
8. Do’s
Do Reply Expediently
• Replying within 24 hours is common
courtesy. Leave someone hanging for any
longer and you are not only perceived as
rude—it could cost you business in the
long run. If you’ve unintentionally kept
someone waiting longer than 24 hours or
extenuating circumstances arose, politely
explain the situation and express your
apologies.
9. Do’s
Do Protect Privacy
• Email is public. Even though an email is
deleted, online services and software
programs can access messages on the
hard drive. Before you click “send,”
consider what may happen if a business
colleague, your competitor, an employer,
or any unintended recipient reads your
email.
10. Do’s
Do Proofread
• Check and recheck for spelling and
grammatical errors. These errors make
you seem unprofessional and will reduce
the likelihood that the email will be taken
seriously. Email software comes with
many professional tools such as spell
check—use them.
11.
12. Do Not
Don’t Include Humor and Sarcasm
• Emails can easily be misinterpreted
through text without context. Humor is
culture-specific. Avoid both humor and
sarcasm in emails as the recipient may be
confused, or worse, offended.
13. Do Not
Don’t Hit “Reply All”
• Avoid using “Reply All” unless everyone
needs to know. When the C-Suite
(CEO/COO) or administrative assistant
sends an email to 10 staff members
requesting volunteers for a community
service project, reply to the admin, not to
all 10 members. Why make ten others
delete your email? Reply All is a function
for ongoing deliberations on a particular
subject.
14. Do Not
Don’t Use Emojis
• Those little winking, smiling icons are for
text messages. They are inappropriate
and unprofessional in a business email.
Emoticons may divert emails to a spam
filter or junk mailbox, and it can look
immature and unprofessional.
15. Do Not
Don’t Be Negative
• It’s inappropriate to email negative
comments. An email in all uppercase
letters connotes anger in an email. These
antagonistic messages cause
awkwardness long after the email has
been sent and received. If you must relay
bad news via email, use objective words
and state the facts. Face-to-face
communication is best when relaying bad
news.
16. Do Not
Don’t Forget the Conversation Closer
• By letting the recipient know that a
response isn’t needed, the email cycle
doesn’t continue in perpetuity. Close with
“No reply necessary,” “Thank you again,”
“See you at the board meeting Tuesday”
or “Please let me know if I may be of
further assistance.” End your email with a
closing such as “Best,” “Best Regards,”
“Sincerely,” “Thank you” or another
appropriate phrase.
