Timeless Tips – The Correct Way to Email
It’s still the best way to communicate professionally, but only if you follow these tips
Thanks to author Sarah Begley for these never-out-of-style email etiquette tips.
1. Quickly get in and quickly get out
Whether to use “Dear” or “Hi” or “Hey there!” depends on your industry and the nature of the note. “Hi FIRST NAME” is fine in most cases. (Please, on no account address a young woman as “Miss.”) Avoid too much formality on the one end or too much folksiness on the other.
Sign-offs should be simple (and you don’t need to include them every time, particularly if you’re going rapidly back and forth with a correspondent.) There is nothing wrong with “Best, NAME.” Do not attempt “Cheers” or “Ciao” unless you talk like that in real life.
2. Be brief
If you’re spending more than 30 seconds trying to think of something charming to say, you’re trying too hard.
3. If you don’t reply fast, you must reply well
4. Try to avoid emailing at strange hours
5. Use a voice (preferably your own)
6. Make the subject line simple
For a business communications audit and helpful insights, contact S3 Solutions today