Throughout the course of a day, we as professionals read hundreds of emails, whether a quick skim of marketing document or a detailed report that requires your attention. As part of our daily routine, emails have the power to make us sit up in concern or brighten our mood for the rest of our day, but whatever our reaction, a professional response is key to building meaningful business relationships, therefore, these 4 golden rules are important to follow.
1. Time of Day
Importantly, you should all consider the appropriateness of the time of day you are sending your email. Whilst an early morning or late night email can be the a sign of a dedicated and conscientious business professional, sending an email whilst you are in a poor frame of mind (for example, during or immediately after a heavy night out) can have some serious consequences in terms of what you actually write. So, think carefully about when you’re sending those important emails out.
2. Speed of Response
If someone has sent you an email, do your best to reply to them as soon as possible, within 24 hours at the most, particularly if a question has been asked. A simple acknowledgment that you have received and been made aware of the email is often exactly what your sender wants to hear, even if you don’t have the answer to their question immediately. So always send an acknowledgement and if possible, set a time frame for providing the answer that they require. This should ensure a happy communication exchange.
3. Professional Communication
Always think about the language that you use when speaking to clients and business associates. LOLs and other slang acronyms are simply not appropriate when looking to form a meaningful working relationship and won’t help to position you as a professional who can be taken seriously by your peers. Of course, this is dictated by the relationship you share with your recipient, but care should always be taken.
4. Grammar
Finally, always check your grammar. Similar to the language that you choose to use in your emails, your grammar should be reflective of your role as a professional, and peers will fail to respect you should it be poor and error-strewn. Consider writing emails in a word processor first before pasting into an email. The main message to learn is BE PROFESSIONAL and think before you send. Do you offer follow these rules when you writing emails? Do you have any rules which you think should be included? Share your idea and opinions with our readership below.
