Tip #4839 - Ten Common E-mail Mistakes
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Q:
I'm new to e-mail, so I was wondering if you have a list of common
mistakes people make when they're e-mailing others. I want to make
sure I'm doing everything correctly, so if you have any suggestions,
they would be greatly appreciated!
A:
Oooh, good question! First
of all, I'd like to welcome you to the world of e-mail! I think it's
great that you want to make sure you're doing everything right when
you're e-mailing other people. It's amazing how many people use incorrect
e-mail etiquette on a daily basis, so I'm sure this tip will help
several others as well. Below is a list of the 10 most common e-mail
mistakes people make. Let's check them out!
1.)
Vague subject line: I don't know about you, but when
I get an e-mail, I always look at the subject line first to see what
it's about. The subject line is supposed to give you some basic details
for what the e-mail is about and it gives you a reason to actually
open the e-mail and read it. The subject line is especially important
if you're dealing with work related e-mails. Your co-workers probably
get several e-mails everyday and if they don't have a good subject
line to go by, they may just skip past it and miss something important.
The same goes if you're e-mailing a friend or family member. Take
some time to make the subject line perfect!
2.)
No signature: It's a good idea to include a signature
at the bottom of all your e-mails. Otherwise, your recipients may
not know who you are and they could by-pass your e-mail. Your signature
should at least include your name and e-mail address. You can also
include your physical address and phone number if you want to give
your recipients more ways to contact you. You can follow this tip
to learn how to create your own signature.
3.)
Unclear message: I get e-mails all the time that
have no clear message as to what they're really about. When you send
out an e-mail, make sure you use complete sentences, correct grammar
and correct spelling. Also, take the time to really get your message
across. If you don't make what you want to say clear enough, your
recipients will be left dazed and confused. Plus, they probably won't
bother replying to you, because they won't know what to say in return!
4.)
Rambling on: When you're typing out an e-mail, it's
best to be short and to the point. While still making yourself clear,
you should use short sentences and paragraphs. Just say what you need
to say and be done with it. Unless you're e-mailing a friend you haven't
talked to in years an update on your life, you don't need to write
a novel! Your recipients will better appreciate a clean, cut e-mail.
5.)
SHOUTING: We've talked about this before, but I'll
say it again: don't use all capital letters when typing out an e-mail.
When you do that, it's like you're shouting at your recipient and
they might not like that too much! So, before you start typing, make
sure the Caps Lock key is turned off. That will make for a much nicer
e-mail!
6.)
Wrong tone: It's hard to express your tone of voice
over an e-mail, but you have to do your best with the way you write.
For instance, if you're trying to crack a joke to one of your friends,
make sure they'll take it the right way. Otherwise, you might end
up offending them. Also, I know I told you to use short sentences,
but don't be too short with your recipients. If you are, they might
take it the wrong way. If you think something will be interpreted
the wrong way, it's best just to leave it out.
7.)
Too many attachments: Do you like to send attachments
along with your e-mails? That's all good and well, but if they're
too large, you may end up annoying your recipient more than anything.
It's hard to tell what type of Internet connection they will have
or if their computer will even be able to handle a big file. If there's
any doubt in your mind, just don't send it! Save your attachments
only for the people who need them the most.
8.)
Incorrect e-mail address: What's the worst thing
you can think of when dealing with e-mail? How about sending one to
the wrong person? Yeah, that's pretty bad! To prevent that from happening,
you should always double check the recipient's e-mail address before
you send it off. Otherwise, it could end up going to the complete
wrong person and that's just no good at all!
9.)
Mixing e-mail accounts: Do you ever use your work
e-mail account to send your friends or family messages? If you do,
you shouldn't! It's as plain and simple as that. Your work e-mail
should only be used for work related issues and nothing more. Use
your personal e-mail account for everything else.
10.)
Too much e-mail: If you find yourself rambling on
in an e-mail or if you're afraid the message will get mixed up, you're
probably relying on e-mail too much. E-mails should be used for quick
communication and if you have something more to say than that, you
should probably just pick up the phone and call the person or talk
to them face to face. Yes, e-mail is convenient and easy to use, but
with certain things, it can be a little too much.
There
you have it! The top 10 most common e-mail mistakes. If you have made
some of these mistakes in the past, don't feel bad. We've all done
it, but at least you now know what you can do to correct them. Proper
e-mail etiquette is very important and it will help you stay in good
relations with all your e-mail buddies as well!
~
Erin
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