9 rules of email etiquette that everyone should know



    Did you know that in 2015 every second inhabitant of the planet sent and received approximately 205 billion emails of various kinds? A large half is business writing, the number of which will grow by 3% each year, as expected. On average, one user sent 122 emails every day. Since the email remains the most effective and used marketing tool for communication and promotion, you need to know the basic rules of its etiquette so as not to crash when communicating with customers and partners.

    Due to the fact that now communication takes place on social networks, many etiquette rules are leveled. This can be detrimental to your business.

    Let's look at the basic rules.

    1. Subject of the letter

    It all starts with a topic. Upon seeing it, the recipient decides to open the letter or not. Therefore, the topic should be clear so that the recipient understands what your letter is about.



    2. Sender mail

    Send letters to clients or partners only from work mail. But if it so happened that you need to answer from a personal email, then name it correctly. The recipient must understand who the letter came from, so let it be your first and last name.
    In no case do not use addresses that are not suitable for business correspondence. For example, "dandelion @ ...", "baby @ ..."

    3. Personalization

    Every person is a person. Naturally, it becomes pleasant when they contact us by name. In this way, you show respect to the person with whom you correspond.



    4. The tone of the letter

    When you have been working with your colleague for several years, an informal communication style prevails between you. When communicating with a new potential client, the tone should be changed to formal and respectful.
    This transformation of communication styles is also very important when writing email letters. Be always aware of who your recipient is so as not to spoil the current relationship with improper handling.
    Always contact only “You”, be polite and observe the official-business style of communication.

    5. Grammar

    If there are grammatical errors in the email, you seem to directly declare to the recipient that you:

    • Uneducated;
    • Inattentive;
    • Overworked.


    What could be the risk of a grammatical mistake? In most cases, this leads to the fact that the client recognizes your incompetence due to an illiterate proposal. He may also conclude that you are simply not ready to work with new customers.



    Spend more time checking messages for errors. Yes, you will spend more working time, but at least it will not affect the deterioration of the reputation of the company and your personal in the eyes of colleagues and management.

    6. Humor

    It is better not to use it in business correspondence. Except if you know the person you are talking to well enough.
    Keep in mind that people perceive humor differently. What is funny to you will not necessarily be funny to the addressee.

    7. A different approach for different cultures

    You need to consider cultural differences, especially in letters when you do not see the person you are talking to. Adapt the emails according to the cultural differences of the recipient.



    We give examples of such differences. Arabs, Chinese and Japanese want to know more about their interlocutor before starting to talk about business. But the Germans and Americans, on the contrary, pay more attention to business.

    8. Always reply to emails.

    Try to always reply to received emails, especially if the sender is from the same industry as you. This is considered good manners and etiquette in email marketing. Answer even if the letter was sent to you by mistake, but the sender is waiting for a reply.

    9. Send at the right time

    It is very important to send letters at the right time so that they are read. We recommend sending your first letters with offers for partners at lunchtime from 13:00 to 14:00 or in the evening after the working day (18: 00-21: 00).

    Business letters should exclude:

    • Sarcasm or irony in expressions;
    • Inappropriate humor;
    • Informal language;
    • Gossip or the so-called “water” (only clear facts and figures).


    Bonus tip: if you are excited or angry, do not reply to emails immediately. Compose a letter, put a point, but do not send. Take a walk: walk around, take a breath, go back to the workplace and look at the letter again.

    And what rules of email etiquette do you use? We will be grateful if you share them with us in the comments under the article.

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