1. Email
Etiquette
Do’s
&
don’ts

2. To email or not to email?
Are you…informing?
Are you requesting action?
Who should receive the message?
– Use specific and correct distribution lists
– Maintain updated address books

3. Pick up the phone!
Better yet-have a face to face conversation!

4. Do’s
• Use business email for business
• Think before you write: “engage your brain
before your fingers”
• Re-read messages before you send them for
clarity and “correctness”
– “Once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
• Compress large files before sending as an
attachment
• Know your audience

5. Do’s
• Put attachments on before you start writing
your message = decrease in multiple emails.
• Note in the first sentence that there is/are
attachments.
• Use specific subject lines-avoid vagueness!

7. Don’ts
Emoticons : (
 Be careful with texting-type of lingo/abbreviations:
– “ Meet @ mkt 4 drinks?”. “Can u b here 4 mtg?”
– LOL, BTW,
ALL CAPITALS = SHOUTING!
all lowercase = laziness (as i perceive it)
Be gentle with “reply to all”

8. Don’ts
• Office gossip
• Forwarding biased or off-color jokes
• Omitting a closing signature
• General, non-specific responses or one-liners:
– “I’ll be there!”
– “You’re right.”
• Disseminating confidential information
• Use “blind copy” sparingly

9. What’s wrong with this email and
how would you change it?

10. Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!!
Flame e-mail: emails meant
to “attack” or vent.

12. True or False?
Emails are legal documents and can be used in
a court-of-law?

13. Works Referenced
• The Business Writer’s Companion, 4th ed.
(2005) by Alred, Brusaw, and Oliu.
• Business Communication with Writing
Improvement Exercises, 6th ed (2000-2001) by
Hemphill, McCormick, and Hemphill.