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consistent. Similarly, only use emojis if your 7. Be cautious about tone and humour
recipient has done so in their emails to you Some recipients can misunderstand tone
and you’re certain that it’s acceptable. and humour when it’s written in an email. It’s
essential to make sure your emails are always
4. Use punctuation appropriately polite and professional in tone. Similarly,
Overusing punctuation like exclamation marks humour and jokes might be misunderstood
could indicate overexcitement, so use it in an in emails unless you know the recipient very
appropriate way. One exclamation mark at the well. For professional emails, maintain a
end of a sentence is sufficient, but in general, serious tone unless you’re certain the recipient
keep your emails somewhat formal. Similarly, can understand and appreciate the joke.
only use sentence case when sending
emails unless there’s a good reason for 8. Include a signature
doing otherwise. Typing in all caps can seem Adding an email signature is a great way
aggressive and imply that you’re shouting. of making an impression and looking
professional. It also gives the recipient some
5. Use appropriate greetings and sign-offs information about you, including where you
Use professional greetings and sign-offs in all work and your contact information. Make
of your emails. Different organisations have sure that your email signature includes all
different ideas about what’s appropriate. Using the essential information and also fits into
‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’ is acceptable in most workplaces your professional image. Most companies
unless the email is very formal. If you’ve have an email signature template to use.
started a new job and you’re unsure about It’s recommended to use standard fonts and
the right etiquette, read your emails carefully colours if you’re designing your own.
to see how others address you and other
colleagues. This is a good guide to what to do. 9. Think before using ‘reply all’ or
forwarding
6. Consider your audience Make sure that using ‘reply all’ or forwarding
Considering your audience is important, an email is the right thing to do. It can be
especially if you have international distracting to receive emails that are intended
colleagues, clients or partners. Different for someone else because other people are
cultures communicate in different ways. By using the reply all button. If you’re doing this
being aware of this, you can tailor your own regularly, it could affect your reputation as a
correspondence accordingly. Professional professional, so always think about whether
contacts from some cultures, such as China it’s necessary.
or Japan, normally expect to get to know you
before conducting business, so their emails This also applies to forwarding emails.
may be more personal than you expect. Other Some emails are only intended for you, so
cultures are more direct and expect to deal think about whether forwarding them on is
with business immediately. If you’re not sure, appropriate. If you’re forwarding a lengthy
follow the example of your recipient and mirror chain of emails, provide a summary in the
their way of communicating. email you send so that your recipient can
18 January 2023
