Today, with millions of employees working from home during the pandemic, understanding email etiquette is more important than ever. Gone are the days of walking into someone’s office to have a brief discussion and being able to display body language to enhance the conversation no longer exists. Technology has become critically important to convey messages and one of the most commonly used vehicles to do this is through the use of email.
On September 24th Bruce Mayhew, President of Bruce Mayhew Consulting (BMC) presented on best practices for communicating through emails and instant messaging in today’s business environment. Bruce showed practical techniques to enhance professional email writing skills, how and where to add clarity, and monitoring the tone, along with when it is best to use email versus making a phone call. Also, using brevity, manners, clear language, and a direct approach to state the intention of your email message was widely discussed during this presentation.
In April 2020, Business Insider published 15 email etiquette rules every professional should know, to help individuals avoid errors and consequences from writing business emails. One point many professionals may not use is adding the recipient’s email last. This will help avoid any accidental sends before you have been given a chance to proofread your email. Never send a message before it’s been proofed and ready to be sent. And one practice that is recommended is to compose your email, keep in in draft and revisit it later using a “fresh set of eyes.” This approach lets the email sender review the communication as if he/she were looking at it for the first time with an objective viewpoint. By utilizing the techniques in articles like this Business Insider and what Bruce discussed in his webinar, your emails will sound like the professional you are.
If you missed the September 24 webinar or would like to listen and view it again, click here.