The importance of understanding

EMAIL ETIQUETTE
 Rules in eMail??
• Just as we expect drivers to observe the
rules of the road, similarly we need to
observe some guidelines as we travel
through cyberspace.

• One of the most commonly used facet of the

Cyberspace usage is “eMail”.
In The Professional
• We interact more and more with the written
World Email Is Still A
word all the time.

• Without immediate feedback from the

Formal Correspondence
reader, it’s easy to be misunderstood.
Right now eMail writing is pretty much in its Wild West stage, a free-for-all with

everybody shooting from the hip and no sheriff in sight

 eMail – Not always personal
• eMail is a big part of Ceasefire’s communications to customers, to business
partners and internally within the company.

• In fact, sometimes email is the major form of communication we have with others.
It is an opportunity of marketing oneself and building respect and trust…especially
when it is so easy to make a great impression.

• We find that many employees to do lots of unprofessional things like add silly,
animated characters, go crazy with colours, write unprofessionally and in general
treat corporate email as they do their own, private email!
Think twice about whether or not the
content of your email is appropriate
for virtual correspondence - once you
hit Send, anyone might be able to
read it
 eMail Etiquette

PROFESSIONALISM : By using proper eMail language you convey a

professional image

EFFICIENCY : eMails that get to the point are much more effective

PROTECTION FROM LIABILITY : Awareness of eMail risks will protect you and
the company from costly law suits.
 The eMail Parts

The Header: The Content Your Signature

 The eMail Parts

The Header: The Content Your Signature

 The Header
• It consists of:

Let’s spend 1 minute on each of these aspects

 From: <Your ID>

• Your ID is your exclusive ID that only relates to you.

• In case you have more than one ID and you have to use each of the ID’s, be careful
which ID are you using for what purpose

• Before sending the mail, check

 To: The Recipients

• Just as your ID is your exclusive ID that only relates to you, similarly everyone has
exclusive ID’s

• While adding ID’s to the “To:”, slow down. Send the mail only to the relevant
people and not to every person who sits in the same room/ Office.

• For example matters related to Salary should go to the immediate supervisor and
the concerned HR personal and not to ravis@ceasefire.in; café@ceasefire.in and
everyone else you deal with in the same office.

• Think if the person is actually required to act on the mail you are sending

People mentioned in To: are those who have to act upon the mail you are sending
 To: The Recipients

Avoid/ Restrain
• Sending mails to everyone in the organization/ branch or region

– They don’t need to know

– You choke the Server

Check
• Similar names may have similar ID’s. Be careful about the ID you are typing in.
When in doubt Check . You may end up sending confidential information to
someone who should not see it
pramodk.pat@ceasefire.in
Two different people
pramodK@ceasefire.in
 CC: Carbon Copy

This means that you want someone else in the loop

• To add weightage to your mail

• To ensure “Bosses” are aware

• To inform

What this does not mean is that you

• Add superior weightage to your mail every time

• Use this as a means to tell “Bosses” that you have done/ not done a task

• Slyly escalate
 BCC: Blind Carbon Copy

This means that you want someone else in the loop but don’t want
people to know that the person in in the loop

• To ensure “Bosses” are aware

• To inform - just FYI

• To safeguard yourself

It is totally avoidable

People within the BCC list respond to the mail which makes the situation
uncomfortable
 BCC: Blind Carbon Copy

• Use the BCC to send the mail to yourself if you know you would need to use that
mail and want to save it in a special folder that is not the sent folder

• Use BCC when you want to send mail starting as, let’s say “Dear Colleague” but
don’t want to disclose the list of recipients
 Subject Line

• On of the more important parts of the eMail.

• This line describes briefly what the mail is all about.

• It must be brief, clear and relevant.

• Let us look at some examples of Subject Line.

 Subject Line

regarding the CQRS installation - -> Delay in installation of CQRS in XYZ chambers
Dongles needed - -> Requirement of 2 Dongles in Coimbatore
Employee.xls updated- -> Updated data of all employee as on 20th Aug 2016

1st Mail : Subject: Need approval for arranging lunch of 10 people during training
Response: Subject: Re: Need approval for arranging lunch of 10 people during training

Dear XYZ,
Subject Line is not
relevant
Rs. 2500/- has been approved for the lunch.
…
Response: Subject: Re: Re: Need approval for arranging lunch of 10 people during training

Dear Sir,
This is to inform you that Rama B has decided to not continue because his ….request separation
to be initiated
 The Date

• Dates have a special significance in written communication as they indicate

sequence of events in a situation.

• Dates are important also as they are indicative of delays, deadlines etc.

• Ensure the system date/ time are correct so as to indicate the correct time and
date

• We use DD:MM:YYYY format

 The eMail Parts

The Header: The Content Your Signature

 The Content
The Body of mail has 3 parts:

Let us go through each

 The Salutation

• Its how you start the mail

• Dear Kaveri
• Hello Kaveri
• Hello Ma’am
• Hi Kaveri
• Dear Pawanji and Baluji
• Avoid being casual as this is not a
• Dear Sir
personal mail
• It is ok not to have a salutation if • Dear Both
the person(s) are known and the • Dear All
response is not long • Dear Sirs’
• Dear Sharma Sahab
The Content Details - Body

1. Make paragraphs 7-8 lines

2. Insert a blank line between paragraphs

3. Use headlines, bullets, and numbers

4. AVOID ALL CAPS; THAT'S SHOUTING

5. If a message is longer than 3 screens, send

an attachment
 Before Starting

What exactly do I want

Who am I writing this
Why am I writing this? the result of this
to?
message to be?

• Anything that can’t be done by simply picking up the phone

• Where you need to provide details and reports/data
• Where a record is required
• Where written approval is required

You do not need to write mails for discount approvals any more.
You do not have to write mails for “out of office” any more.
We have efficient systems to do so
 On A Serious Note

You do not need to write mails for discount approvals any more.
You do not have to write mails for “out of office” any more.
We have efficient systems to do so

Mails for the above mentioned purposes will

not be entertained at all.
Refrain.
 Before Starting

What exactly do I want

Who am I writing this
Why am I writing this? the result of this
to?
message to be?

• Know something - Inform

• Do Something - Action
• Record something – Keep Handy
 Before Starting

What exactly do I want

Who am I writing this
Why am I writing this? the result of this
to?
message to be?

• People who need to act

• People who need to know
• People who need to record
 eMail Etiquette
• Avoid the use of all capital letters . Capitalizing
all letters is considered “SHOUTING” or
FLAMING

• Avoid using red colour font; the recipient may

consider this hostile

• Do not write something that you would not

say to the recipient in person.

• Consider e-mail a formal message, and keep it

professional – AA
(Avoid acronyms because not everyone will know their
meaning (e.g. HAGW = have a good weekend))
 eMail Etiquette
• Conduct a spell check of your messages.

• Use simple fonts.

• State terms and conditions clearly to avoid

miscommunication, especially when
providing information about times, places,
orders, installation , products or people.

• Being clear and concise in the original

message prevents future e-mail request for
directions, times, phone numbers, contact
person, order number, installation dates
etc.
 eMail Etiquette
• If a mail goes back and forth three time, it’s time to
pick up the phone

• You can follow the call with one final mail, putting in
the discussion outcomes in the mail

• If an issue needs an urgent response, call and inform

and then follow with a mail.
• When you need to get something done urgently and you are aware that the
person will not be in a position to check mails – call/ send SMS, follow with
mail if needed.

• Often you need a small thing to be done, use an sms for the same. There is no
need to send an eMail
 Answer swiftly:
• People send you email because they want quick responses.

• The golden rule for email is to reply within 24 hours, and preferably within the
same working day.

• If your response email is complicated, just send an email confirming receipt and
letting them know that you will get back to them. This will ease the person's mind!
 Don’t Leave Out The Message Thread
• Include the original mail in your reply, in other words click 'Reply', instead of 'New
Mail'.

• We all receive many emails and we can't remember each individual email.

• Leaving the thread may take a fraction longer in download time, but it saves the
recipient time looking for the related emails in their inbox.

• Remember, emails are not like regular printed correspondence - the name of the
game is to keep it quick and efficient – so include the thread!
Look at my tail
• Read your email before you send it. mail
 Don’t Attach Unnecessary Files
• Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments
when they are productive.

• Make sure you have good virus software in place to scan your outgoing emails –
No one would not be happy if you send them documents riddled with viruses!

• File Size Maximum is 8 MB but if a file is larger than lets say 3 MB, the best is to
send it through applications such as drop box/ we transfer.

• If your mail is becoming longer than 3 screens, it is better that you convert it
into a document that you attach to the mail and only give a summary in the mail
body.
 Don’t Abuse The “Reply To All”
• Only use Reply to All if you really need your message to be seen by each person
who received the original message.

• Sending off irrelevant or unnecessary replies to everyone on the list is just

annoying and confusing.

• However, if communication is vital between all parties in an email thread, use the
Reply to All to keep everyone in the loop.

• If you only use Reply in such a case, the recipient may have to forward your email
to everyone else , which is frustrating and disjointed.
 Don’t Forward Junk
• Don't forward chain letters, virus hoaxes, chain email solicitations for charitable
causes even if they sound bona fide, funny pictures and jokes.

• Think: Would you put these things on your corporate letterhead?

• Don't ever send or forward emails containing defamatory, offensive, racist or

obscene remarks.

• Just one offensive remark can result in a court case for you and your company.
 The eMail Parts

The Header: The Content Your Signature

 Closing
• Closing should be professional
• Warm/ Best regards
• Sincerely
• Thanking you in advance
• Only when you know someone well use more casual closure
• Best wishes
• Have a great day
• Thanks
• In case you need the response within a deadline mention the deadline by which
you expect the action to be taken
 Use Branded Signature. Only

Use the branded signatures as they portray a professional image

Happy eMailing!!!! 