6 Ways to Improve Your E-Mail Messages

6 Ways to Improve Your E-mail Messages

Here are six suggestions for using e-mail effectively in a business setting:

1. Shorter is better

With the volume of messages most people receive today, you won't make them happy if you send an e-mail that is more than 100 words long. If you can't make your message brief, then the topic you're writing about may be too complicated for e-mail.

2. Don't use fancy formatting

Not all e-mail software is the same. Just because your e-mail program will allow you to send messages using fancy graphics, doesn't mean the person on the other end will be able to see it with his or her program. And if the person can't see it, part of the meaning of your message is lost. With e-mail, the simpler the message, the better.

3. Don't use emoticons or abbreviations

"Emoticons" are keyboard symbols that people use to show emotions. These may be cute, but they're not appropriate for business communication, and neither are abbreviations you commonly see on the internet. Besides being too informal, they are not understood by everyone, so you'll end up causing confusion if you use them.

4. Don't try to be funny

It's difficult to be a successful comedian even in person, but it's especially hard in the medium of e-mail, where the reader doesn't have any visual cues like your facial expressions. Jokes, sarcasm, and other forms of humor can be easily misunderstood or misinterpreted in e-mail. Unless you're corresponding with someone who knows you very well, it's better to stay away from humor in e-mails.

5. Use appropriate titles

If you're making the first contact with someone by e-mail, use his or her title wherever possible. When replying to someone who has contacted you first, be guided by the person's signature. If you're e-mailing someone in another country, be as formal as possible.

6. Always proofread your message before sending it

It's easy to make mistakes in e-mail, because messages are written and sent fast. It pays big dividends to proofread your e-mails before sending them. For important e-mails, let someone else check your writing for errors, even if your word processing program has a spell or grammar checker.