Business Email Etiquette In The Workplace – 6 Things You’re Doing Wrong

Even with the growing popularity of instant messaging apps, emails continue to be the most preferred medium of communication in any workplace. In a business setting emails are the standard form of conversation as well as a tool to set up meetings, follow up on deadlines, delegate work and so on. It is also a way of keeping a record of the work that goes on, which is why a certain level of professionalism must be maintained – whether you are emailing your boss or your work buddy. 

So, if you’re one who uses instant messaging lingo, shorthand forms or write long paragraphs in your mails (amongst other things) then this article is for you. You might be surprised to see that some of the things you thought you were acceptable do not fall under the professional conversation category. 

Here are 6 things you’re doing wrong when drafting an email:

6. Inaccurate Subject Line or No Subject Line At All

This is the first thing your recipient will see which is why it is important to keep it crisp, concise and accurate. If there’s no subject line at all then there’s a chance the recipient will pass it off as spam or will go unnoticed. It may also indicate unprofessionalism from your part. Remember, your subject line has to be only a few words but it has to be the right words, it’s the only way to get the recipient to read and respond to you immediately. 

5. You Do Not Use Professional Salutations 

The first line in your mail must properly address the recipient and be respectful even if the mail is to your pal at work. Informal salutation such as “Hey”, “Hi”, “Sup” etc, are better avoided. Instead, polite salutations like “Dear Sir/Ma’am”, “Dear *Name of person*”,’ “Good Morning Sir”, or “ etc are most commonly preferred in the workplace. You need not salute the recipient every time you reply to a thread, but, it’s a must if you’re initiating the conversation or replying to the first mail.  

4. You Do Not Pay Attention To Punctuation and Grammar

Attention to grammar and punctuation indicates that you are serious about what you want to say and you’re focused on getting your message across clearly. Again, this indicates a level of professionalism from your end. We understand that not everyone is a good writer with an in-depth understanding of grammar. But an easy way to avoid errors and typos would be to simply install a grammar check app onto your browser such as Grammarly. 

3. Not Mentioning That You Attached Files To The Mail

Always mention that you’ve attached a file in your email simply because this could help the recipient know that there’s something important to take a look at. Writing “Please Find Attached this so-and-so document” or “PFA” in your mail is a common courtesy that helps highlight that you have sent supporting files with the email. Warning your recipient before sending a large attachment is considered polite, as you wouldn’t want to clog their inbox and have other important emails bounce back. Also, give the attachment a logical name so that your receiver can easily identify the file when needed.

2. You Don’t Know When To Use CC and BCC 

CC stands for “carbon copy” and BCC stands for “blind carbon copy” and both actions are used when you need to send the same email to multiple people. When you add recipients to the CC tab, the recipients know who else received the same mail. Whereas the recipients added to the BCC tab know who the primary recipients are but do not know who else received the same mail. 

For example – Your primary recipient is George and you add Charles to the CC list. The email is meant for George but Charles can also see the email and both know that each of them received this email. Now you add Mark and Ernest to the BCC list. Mark and Ernest know that George and Charles are recipients of the email but G&C don’t know that M&E also receive this email. Mark and Ernest don’t know who else is on the BCC list, only you do.

When to use CC- 

• When you want the send the same email to someone who isn’t the primary recipient.
• When you want the recipients to know that others have received the same email. 

When to use BCC-

• When you don’t want the primary recipient to know that someone else also received the same mail. Eg: If one of your colleagues is slacking on his part of the project then you send him an email and add your project leader to the BCC list.
• When you want to send an email to many people. 

Also, note that if you’ve been CC’ed an email and need to reply to everyone marked on that email then hit “Reply All”. If you just “Reply” then only the sender will get your response. 

1. You Don’t Respond Quickly 

It’s basic etiquette to not let the sender wait indefinitely for a response, and delaying a response will also delay work. Always try and respond to your emails at the earliest, but if you need a little more time to respond then at least acknowledge that you have received an email and will reply to it soon. 

There are a lot of things you need to be mindful of when it comes to email etiquette, but in our list above we highlighted the top six things that most professionals overlook to help you compose your message more clearly and effectively. Pay close attention to these points next time you need to send or reply to an email.

This article first appeared in www.talent500.co/blog