Do you remember the early days of e-mail?

In the not so distant past, it was more common to receive letters and bills in the post, and only the odd e-mail – these days I find my letterbox looking rather bare, but my e-mail inbox is almost out of control!

But the ease and cost effectiveness of sending an e-mail brings an equal amount of risk…to your professional reputation that is.

Below are The Tax Chic’s top tips for appropriate e-mail etiquette in a business or professional setting:

Subject – the subject line gives the recipient a view to the content of the e-mail, and it can be the difference between them reading it promptly or leaving it until later.

Level of formality – consider your e-mail, including your e-mail signature, the equivalent of your letterhead.  While e-mail has a tendency to be more casual, always consider the recipient and your relationship with them.

Addressing – always ensure you have your recipient’s name saved in your e-mail contacts in the correct format (ie: Bron Levett, not bron levett or BRON LEVETT), anything else could give an unfavourable impression.

Privacy – when e-mailing a group of unrelated people, remember to use the Bcc (Blind carbon copy) function to keep e-mail addresses private.

Attachments – most importantly…include them!  But also check with the recipient if you are intending to send a large file.

Common courtesy – proper salutations and signing off of e-mails is common courtesy, as is responding promptly!

I totally understand the need to often send e-mails in haste, and quite often to business associates with whom we have a good relationship – but if you can at least keep the above points in mind, it might help with consistency and to maintain your reputation!

Does anyone have any other e-mail tips they’d like to share?

Regards