10 Email Mistakes to Avoid
17 September 2014
Read by 3462 persons
A grumpy sky, a crowded metro, and enough worries to fill a graveyard. No doubt, it's back to work. After entering the office, coffee in hand (my second one), you sit down at your computer, open your email, and anxiously discover over a hundred unread messages. And for good reason. 1.4 billion emails are sent daily in France, nearly 40 per internet user.
You yourself send many: to friends, family, but especially to colleagues, superiors, and clients. In the past, the rules for sending paper letters were taught to us for exclusively epistolary relations; however, contemporary electronic exchanges have exposed our self-taught skills. Or not.
This is how we send and/or receive a growing number of emails whose form leaves much to be desired. These messages – too long, poorly punctuated, misspelled, too direct, or conversely too vague – are difficult to read, or even frankly painful. Obviously, they are as poorly understood as the politics of François Hollande – but that's beside the point.
From a professional standpoint, they can cause problems because poor communication will hinder the progress of projects, complicate relationships between colleagues, and could even cause you to be poorly regarded by your superiors or teams.
To address these almost daily frustrations, here are 10 rules to follow before hitting the "Send" button:
1. In the beginning, there was the email subject. This must be clear, precise, and short. It summarizes the content of the message and should be immediately understood by the recipient: "Appointment Request", "Invoice #A2345", "Final Reminder: Deadline". Be careful not to overuse "Urgent" – especially in all capitals – it's bossy and annoying.
2. Hiding behind a screen doesn't excuse you from politeness. You still need to choose your words carefully. Some forget, but a simple "Hello" to a colleague is a minimum. For clients, a respectful "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" softens the distance better than a simple "Sir/Madam". If you know your contact, don't hesitate to use their name ("Dear Mr. Durand") or first name, depending on your relationship.
3. Let's save long blocks of text for May 68. Messages written in one uniform block are skimmed and poorly read. Sentences of 5 lines interrupted by commas or interminable emails where the meaning is lost should be avoided. Be efficient by preferring concise, clear sentences without digressions. However, take the time to introduce yourself if the person doesn't know you, or remind them who you are if you've only briefly met.
3b. Each developed idea should have its own paragraph. The first will specify the purpose of your message, the following ones will provide details. Add a line break between them to make your text easier to read. Your reader will thank you.
4. Pay attention to your spelling. According to a recent study, 88% of French people say they are shocked to read a letter containing mistakes. For your clients, it's a deal-breaker (10 common mistakes to avoid). You don't need to be a local grammar expert, but at least review classic phrases ("I would be grateful", "I dare to", "I send", "We were received") and proofread carefully.
5. Keep it simple! Excessive use of bold, capitalized words, and exclamation points can be perceived as aggressive. Only emphasize text when truly necessary. The same goes for exclamation points (one is usually enough).
6. Stay calm. Even if you're exasperated by a colleague's negligence, don't lose your temper. Don't respond to any message in anger, and avoid accusatory sentences that will only worsen the situation. To say something unpleasant (because sometimes it's necessary), use a more delicate approach: "There seems to be a misunderstanding between us", "This step of my work depends on yours", etc. As a general rule, only write what you could say to the person's face.
7. Thank you, who? When you receive a document or information, don't forget to thank your contact for their work. It's pleasant, appreciated, and takes only a second. This advice is valuable for everyone, but even more so for superiors, who will find it a managerial trick to maintain good relationships with their teams.
7b. The phrase "Please" (do this) is clumsy because it sounds like an order. Dealing with a subordinate or a service provider doesn't justify any lack of politeness. Don't be too abrupt. Why not prefer this phrase: "We will need the document on Thursday, does that work for you?"
8. Conclude your message. The phrase "Please accept, Madam, the expression of my distinguished sentiments" is reserved for particularly formal situations and mostly for paper letters. "Sincerely" is classic but a bit cold. "Best regards" or "Very sincerely" is already less apathetic. "Best wishes" or "All the best" is warm while still respectful. And if your signature isn't automatically generated, don't forget to include your name and contact information at the end of the message.
9. "With the attached document, it's better!" That worked in the early 2000s, but it increases exchanges and is no longer fun. The experienced internet user now proofreads, verifies that everything is in their email, and only then sends it.
10. The silly mistake: sending to the wrong recipient. In some cases, this can cause disasters: information sent to the opposing lawyer, an office joke to the boss, an internal problem sent to the wrong colleague, etc. Double-check the addresses and make sure they are in the correct fields: the main recipient (To), those who should just be informed (Cc), those in hidden copy (Bcc). In the worst case, the lucky ones with Outlook and who are fast will use the email recall feature (good luck to the others).
Following these rules should at least prevent blunders and highlight your professionalism. There are many other tips to share: on the names of attachments, the conflict between informal and formal language, humor... Whatever the case, respond quickly to messages, even to indicate that you need some time to obtain the requested information. This will avoid follow-up requests.
Charlotte Henry de Villeneuve.
Huffingtonpost.fr
Published September 8, 2014.
Posted online September 17, 2014.
You yourself send many: to friends, family, but especially to colleagues, superiors, and clients. In the past, the rules for sending paper letters were taught to us for exclusively epistolary relations; however, contemporary electronic exchanges have exposed our self-taught skills. Or not.
This is how we send and/or receive a growing number of emails whose form leaves much to be desired. These messages – too long, poorly punctuated, misspelled, too direct, or conversely too vague – are difficult to read, or even frankly painful. Obviously, they are as poorly understood as the politics of François Hollande – but that's beside the point.
From a professional standpoint, they can cause problems because poor communication will hinder the progress of projects, complicate relationships between colleagues, and could even cause you to be poorly regarded by your superiors or teams.
To address these almost daily frustrations, here are 10 rules to follow before hitting the "Send" button:
1. In the beginning, there was the email subject. This must be clear, precise, and short. It summarizes the content of the message and should be immediately understood by the recipient: "Appointment Request", "Invoice #A2345", "Final Reminder: Deadline". Be careful not to overuse "Urgent" – especially in all capitals – it's bossy and annoying.
2. Hiding behind a screen doesn't excuse you from politeness. You still need to choose your words carefully. Some forget, but a simple "Hello" to a colleague is a minimum. For clients, a respectful "Dear Sir" or "Dear Madam" softens the distance better than a simple "Sir/Madam". If you know your contact, don't hesitate to use their name ("Dear Mr. Durand") or first name, depending on your relationship.
3. Let's save long blocks of text for May 68. Messages written in one uniform block are skimmed and poorly read. Sentences of 5 lines interrupted by commas or interminable emails where the meaning is lost should be avoided. Be efficient by preferring concise, clear sentences without digressions. However, take the time to introduce yourself if the person doesn't know you, or remind them who you are if you've only briefly met.
3b. Each developed idea should have its own paragraph. The first will specify the purpose of your message, the following ones will provide details. Add a line break between them to make your text easier to read. Your reader will thank you.
4. Pay attention to your spelling. According to a recent study, 88% of French people say they are shocked to read a letter containing mistakes. For your clients, it's a deal-breaker (10 common mistakes to avoid). You don't need to be a local grammar expert, but at least review classic phrases ("I would be grateful", "I dare to", "I send", "We were received") and proofread carefully.
5. Keep it simple! Excessive use of bold, capitalized words, and exclamation points can be perceived as aggressive. Only emphasize text when truly necessary. The same goes for exclamation points (one is usually enough).
6. Stay calm. Even if you're exasperated by a colleague's negligence, don't lose your temper. Don't respond to any message in anger, and avoid accusatory sentences that will only worsen the situation. To say something unpleasant (because sometimes it's necessary), use a more delicate approach: "There seems to be a misunderstanding between us", "This step of my work depends on yours", etc. As a general rule, only write what you could say to the person's face.
7. Thank you, who? When you receive a document or information, don't forget to thank your contact for their work. It's pleasant, appreciated, and takes only a second. This advice is valuable for everyone, but even more so for superiors, who will find it a managerial trick to maintain good relationships with their teams.
7b. The phrase "Please" (do this) is clumsy because it sounds like an order. Dealing with a subordinate or a service provider doesn't justify any lack of politeness. Don't be too abrupt. Why not prefer this phrase: "We will need the document on Thursday, does that work for you?"
8. Conclude your message. The phrase "Please accept, Madam, the expression of my distinguished sentiments" is reserved for particularly formal situations and mostly for paper letters. "Sincerely" is classic but a bit cold. "Best regards" or "Very sincerely" is already less apathetic. "Best wishes" or "All the best" is warm while still respectful. And if your signature isn't automatically generated, don't forget to include your name and contact information at the end of the message.
9. "With the attached document, it's better!" That worked in the early 2000s, but it increases exchanges and is no longer fun. The experienced internet user now proofreads, verifies that everything is in their email, and only then sends it.
10. The silly mistake: sending to the wrong recipient. In some cases, this can cause disasters: information sent to the opposing lawyer, an office joke to the boss, an internal problem sent to the wrong colleague, etc. Double-check the addresses and make sure they are in the correct fields: the main recipient (To), those who should just be informed (Cc), those in hidden copy (Bcc). In the worst case, the lucky ones with Outlook and who are fast will use the email recall feature (good luck to the others).
Following these rules should at least prevent blunders and highlight your professionalism. There are many other tips to share: on the names of attachments, the conflict between informal and formal language, humor... Whatever the case, respond quickly to messages, even to indicate that you need some time to obtain the requested information. This will avoid follow-up requests.
Charlotte Henry de Villeneuve.
Huffingtonpost.fr
Published September 8, 2014.
Posted online September 17, 2014.
