The North American email etiquettes :

“ To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. ”

As we immigrate, switch jobs, or wish to broaden our horizons, communication becomes a key element. I had a difficult time when I first moved from India to the United States. Adapting to the North American culture was not only overwhelming but also shook my confidence on many occasions. Help from my husband, observing conversations at restaurants/malls, speaking to individuals from different backgrounds, and a lot more initiative helped me finally reach a stage where I am confident and willing to pass on my learnings to others.

Let's begin with some email culture talks.

The email culture in the North American continent differs a lot from that in Asian countries. Things differ right from a simple salutation to a concluding see-off. To keep it short here are some top aspects that I learned in terms of written communication. Here are some key aspects :

Salutation?– Unlike the Asian countries, Sir/Mam are words restricted to your elders or renowned personalities. You are expected to refer to each other by first names or by the last names with a proper title. I would recommend sticking to the first names. Coming to the point of writing emails to your faculty/college staff, you can always salute with the words “Prof” or “Dr” as applicable.

Greetings?– It is of utmost importance to begin your email with a greeting. Being mindful of the time of the day is extremely important here. To generalize I recommend sticking to “Greetings of the day” or “Greetings of the season”(during the favorite American holidays). You can simply add a “How are you?” or “ Hope you are doing well” to add a Lil glamour to your email. Be rest assured, you have started it well!

Language?– Do not worry about the perfect language here. The most developed nation doesn’t judge the best of your vocabulary. Keep it simple. I have observed that the American English usage includes sweet and simpler sentences as compared to most other parts of the world. This not only makes communication easier but more clear and understandable. Do not worry about using fancy words. Just ensure correct grammar and you are good to go. (Get Grammarly installed if you still haven’t, learnt it the hard way)

Time zones?– The most important but commonly missed area. This is a country with 6 time zones. You are going to be not only communicating within these 6 but also some international ones. Be mindful!! Be clear when you communicate the time for calls/meetings or even deadlines. Break the ambiguity by avoiding the usage of words like EOD. Remember !! Your Monday morning blues may not be blues for the recipient.?

Calendar permissions?– This is an additional but good practice. Make calendars a habit. Always sync your meeting to your calendar and don’t rely on your memory. This is the best way to work around time zones. Don’t overwork, work efficiently.?

Body of the mail?– The content of your email remains pretty much a subject matter and there is simply no culture to it. Just be mindful of all points above.

Conclusion?– This is another favorite and important part for me. I don’t remember writing fancy conclusions in my email earlier. However, I have developed some favorites here. Ensure you end your email with a thank you or good wishes. This depends on the intent of your email. To generalize these are some lines “Have a great day/Rest of your day”, “Have a great weekend” “Thanking you in anticipation” “Looking forward to hearing from you”?

I think the conclusion is my favorite part and I would like to make an elaborate post about it. Stay tuned to the next post.

Let's discuss and comment if you agree/disagree with my points above. Also, do share your?favorite emails etiquettes below.?

Happy communicating y’all !!