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In a short span of less than 10 years, e-mail has
occupied a prime position among communication media. More and more
people are adding e-mail addresses in their visiting cards and letter-heads
everyday than anytime in the past. However, awareness about generally
accepted standards and practices in e-mail communication is still
inadequate.
Like every other communication medium - e-mail has
its own norms and conventions. Failure to observe these norms and
conventions may invite receiver's ire. Worse, the receiver may even
mistake an inadvertent omission as bad behaviour or deliberate insult.
We receive on an average 2000 e-mails everyday. This
is a unique experience to come across so many styles, manners, fashions
and vocabulary. It also gives us an opportunity to find the most
common mistakes, gaffe and error of judgment.
CAPITAL Letters
By far, the most prevalent mistake in e-mail communication
is to use ALL CAPITAL letters. I guess the practice originated in
telex days where communication used to be in upper-case only for
better readability or limitation in keyboard. However, the world
has gone so far ahead that such practice is construed as bad manners
in e-mail communication today. Using capital letters in e-mail means
SHOUTING - know what I mean ? So use capital letters only when you
wish to SHOUT at the recipient !!
No Subject
Absence of subject reflects a carelessness or lack
of attention. If you wish to inject seriousness in your communication
- make sure your e-mail has a subject that is not only relevant
but specific (no broad ambiguous words).
Uncontrolled line length
Some e-mails come in a single line - all of one page
communication - without any break !! Imagine the discomfort of the
reader. This happens if you and your recipient have different "wrap"
settings, or in cut-paste operation. Keep your lines short (60 or
so characters max), hit key at every line break.
Unwanted file attachment
In this age of countless e-mail viruses being carried
through attachments - file attachments are generally looked upon
with suspicion. Your attachment may be perfectly OK, free from any
virus - but the receiver may not be so confident or willing to try.
Moreover, file attachments make e-mails bulky and many users put
a limit on maximum size of e-mails to be received. Bulky e-mails,
in such cases, never reaches the recipient. It is a good practice
to seek recipient's permission before sending file attachment.
Unnecessary Quote
Quoting sender's mail completely while responding (unless
the mail is in response to the quote or there is a specific reason)
is positively irritating. Some people even use Sent mailbox as address
book - picking up any past mail to write to its sender. Every e-mail
software provides address book which is not only fast and convenient
- but extremely simple to use. A little investment in time and effort
will result in a business address book that can save considerable
time and make your business communication precise.
Stiff, formal language
Actual "tone" of your e-mail can make a difference
in the responses you receive. A conversational, informal tone may
get a response much more quickly than using stiff, formal language.
Use short sentences in direct speech as much as possible.
Difficult Formatting
Long, unstructured text is difficult to read - more
so on a computer screen. Use paragraphs to structure your message
appropriately. Long paragraphs and run on sentences are inappropriate
for e-mails. Breaking up your paragraphs simply makes them easier
to read. Scrolling down a long paragraph can be a pain in the eyes
! Sheer boredom can make recipient just stop reading ! Keeping your
message short and to the point guarantees they'll get your message,
or at least they're more likely to attempt to read it! A page full
of text can be daunting!
Use e-mail to build relationship and trust
E-mail is a powerful communications tool. Make sure
your e-mail communications are well received and are actually read.
The tone and content of your message should be able to inspire confidence
in the recipient. Few checks and commitments on your part can go
a long way in establishing your professional reputation and building
positive image of your company.
Related Links:
Source: FAIDA
- Newsletter on Business Opportunties from India and Abroad
Vol: 3, Issue 6
May 15' 2002
Author :
Dr. Amit K. Chatterjee
(Amit worked in blue-chip Indian and MNCs for 15 years in various
capacities like Research and Information Analysis, Market Development,
MIS, R&D Information Systems etc. before starting his e-commerce
venture in 1997. The views expressed in this columns are of
his own. He may be reached at amit@infobanc.com
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