business email

Business Email Etiquette Video

The Email Etiquette Video Program Covers:

• Basic rules for writing and sending business emails

• Proper use of email in the business environment

• Best practices and helpful tips for using and managing emails

 

Overview of Business Email Etiquette Training

Email has become an essential resource for remote communication with many benefits. It can facilitate an immediate response from a coworker or allow an individual to communicate with many people at the same time. It also provides an electronic or paper trail of communication for future reference.

While email is a useful tool, there are also some pitfalls with this form of communication. Tone can be difficult to convey to your coworkers and messages can sometimes be misinterpreted.

Recipients are unable to see facial expressions or hear verbal inflections that typically imply tone. Once a message is delivered, you are unable to see the reaction of the recipient and adjust your message accordingly.

While email is a simple method for communicating, getting the correct message across can be more of a challenge. Be sure to always present yourself as polite, courteous, and respectful when sending a workplace email.

 

As employees, we need to consider the impact of our words and actions on others. Many of us have experienced emails or have received a message that has been sent hastily, without considering the risk of misinterpretation or misunderstanding. It is important to indicate precisely what we mean to say when using email and to be aware of our tone and volume, to remain open-minded and respectful even in disagreement.

Poor writing and presentation choices can also impact an email message. It is important to use complete sentences and to proofread carefully. In a professional setting, email should not be treated as an informal means of communication.

Here is a short example of an email from a supervisor to staff that is well-written, clear and polite.

Subject: Meeting Cancelled for February 29th 2016

 Good Morning Staff:

My apologies, however, due to unforeseen circumstances the meeting scheduled for February 29th 2016 at 9:00am has been cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date in March. An email will be sent later this week with the date, time and location.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Joan

Joan Smith
Manager, Sales Team
ABC Company

As a staff member receiving this email, you are likely to feel valued and respected based on the introduction and language used throughout the email.  The subject line is not ambiguous and it clearly states the intent of the email.