Email etiquette is one of the most important aspects of any professional relationship. Whether you are a leader in a large organization, a freelancer, or a manager of a small team, knowing when and how to effectively utilize email communication is essential. Poor email etiquette can not only reflect poorly on your reputation, but it can also cost you time, money, and even cause a loss of trust. This blog post will discuss some of the most common email faux pas that can damage your reputation as a professional. From using too much exclamation points to not using a professional email signature, these seemingly small missteps can have lasting consequences for individuals in any professional space. It’s important to take the time to understand and implement the proper etiquette when it comes to email communication. With this knowledge, you can maintain a professional image and cultivate strong, meaningful relationships within your organization or network.
What is an email faux pas?
A mistaken tendency in an email that could make it appear less professional is known as an email faux pas. Utilizing inappropriate language, slang, or negative wording are a few examples of email faux pas. By following appropriate email protocol and business etiquette, employees can work to avoid email gaffes.
Understanding email faux pas tendencies and how to avoid them can be important to maintaining an appropriate demeanor in the workplace because employees may send or respond to emails regardless of what kind of position they are in. Employees can uphold company standards, such as remaining positive, encouraging others, and providing appropriate feedback in the workplace, by learning how to avoid email faux pas.
14 email faux pas and how to avoid them
Here are 14 email blunders you should be aware of and steer clear of:
1. Using informal writing
Consider using formal language whenever you send an email to anyone at work, whether it’s a coworker or your manager. Extremely informal or conversational writing can come off as unprofessional and may not fit with the culture of your workplace. However, you might use some casual language in your responses if your workplace culture promotes a laid-back attitude. Consider reviewing other people’s emails before you send your own to prevent losing your writing.
2. Personal emails
Employer policies may prohibit using your email for any personal purposes. However, some businesses might not explicitly state or forbid using your email to send private documents, pictures, or videos from your work computer to your home gadgets. Depending on your company’s culture, your employer might view it as unprofessional if you use your work email for personal matters. If your company permits this activity, think about avoiding this method of file transfer by using devices like USB ports to transfer data from one computer to another.
3. Sending messages to incorrect recipients
Think twice before sending an email to a coworker or your manager to make sure you are sending it to the right person. Sending the wrong person an email can come off as unprofessional, especially if you send business-related information to people outside the company, like contractors or close friends. Sending an email to the incorrect recipient can, at the very least, lead to misunderstandings. Consider thoroughly evaluating your email before sending it.
4. Including superiors
Including your managers or executives in emails can help you save time and catch mistakes, but unless it’s absolutely necessary, doing so can come across as unprofessional. By getting in touch with them via alternative channels, such as phone, text, or small-group meetings, if appropriate, you can avoid doing this too frequently. Consider trying to handle the situation by yourself if possible. By responding to inquiries and resolving conflicts independently, you can demonstrate to your management team that you are independent and have initiative.
5. Sending reminders
Sending an email reminder to the recipient if you don’t hear back from the recipient after asking a question might not be the most appropriate course of action. By being patient and assuming your recipient may be preoccupied with other obligations, you are demonstrating to them that you value their time. There are times when sending a reminder email is necessary, like when a time-sensitive request has gone unanswered for more than half a day. In this situation, you can contact the person by phone, email, or arrange a brief meeting in addition to these methods.
6. Using slang
Even though using slang in workplace conversations is sometimes acceptable, using it in emails may not be a wise professional move. Emoticons or emoticons, as well as slang, might not be appropriate for email responses. Using slang can make your writing appear unprofessional, even to colleagues and peers.
7. Delaying responses
Responding as soon as you can to emails from coworkers is considered proper email etiquette. However, it’s acceptable to delay responding if you have an important task to complete, are away from your computer, or are concentrating on a goal. Consider making a note to yourself when you receive the email to respond to inquiries as soon as you can. Delaying your responses for too long can come across as unprofessional.
8. Using “Reply all”
The “Reply all” feature of emails is another email faux pas that you may want to avoid in the office. Although this tool can be helpful for group messages or announcements, accidentally using this feature for groups that include your entire department or business can have a significant impact on how your coworkers perceive your professionalism. When responding to emails, be sure to carefully consider your clicking actions to prevent accidentally sending an email to everyone.
9. Copying unnecessarily
You can inform management or other coworkers about an email’s contents by using the copy function in your emails. However, copying other department members may result in an excessive number of emails for those unrelated to events or conversations. To save time for yourself and to respect other people’s time, you might choose to use your copy function.
10. Requiring unnecessary copying
It can be beneficial if you are a manager to request that employees copy you on emails that need your attention. But insisting that they include a copy of every email to you might lead to ineffective results. There may be too many emails for you to reasonably read through or too many emails that don’t really need your attention. Think about requesting employees to only copy you on certain emails or establish strict guidelines for emails that need your review.
11. Sending without editing
Emails sent without a quick editing stage may contain errors that were not caught. By giving all emails at least one quick edit to look for typos or grammar mistakes, you can prevent this. Reviewing your emails can be especially beneficial if you want to demonstrate your professional writing style in emails to your manager or other key project stakeholders.
12. Writing long emails
Try to keep emails brief and to the point, even though an inclusive and detailed email can help communicate all the details of a situation or project. Long emails may increase the likelihood that recipients will skim information that would have been best read carefully and risk them not processing all of it. If you need to send a lot of information, think about sending it in several smaller emails rather than one big one. Additionally, you can write down any details you missed and send them a reminder later by doing so.
13. Using subject lines that are too long or short
Try to avoid writing a subject line that is too long or too short. When reading a long subject line in their inbox, the reader is not provided with a summary. A subject line with insufficient information could leave the reader confused Even on mobile devices, using a subject line that is the right length can convey all the necessary information in a way that is visible to all readers.
14. Adding incompatible files
Consider whether the file is compatible with the recipient’s computer before attaching it to an email. The file you send them might not be useful if they use an earlier version of the software you use. You can speed up the compression and conversion of your files by choosing file types that are both manageable in size and compatible with all devices.
