• Read over your message before sending it. Edit for clarity and brevity and check spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• For business correspondence, leave out flourishes such as fancy fonts, colors, and smiley faces.
• The structure should make your message easy to read. Use short paragraphs with blank lines in between, avoid long sentences and number or mark specific points.
• Keep in mind that formatting (bold, italics, indents) may appear differently if the recipient uses a different mailing program.
• Avoid sarcasm, using all capitals that appear as “shouting” and abbreviations with which the recipient may not be familiar. Use gender neutral language.
• If you are concerned the recipient may misunderstand your message, it may be better to talk in person.
• Manage your inbox efficiently. Try to respond to messages in one business day. If an e-mail is complicated, confirm that you have received the message and need some time to reply.
• Avoid constantly checking your email. It is often unnecessary and will only waste time.
• Provide enough information in your message and when replying, answer all questions thoroughly. Try to anticipate further questions and offer extra information the recipient may also need.
• When replying, it can be helpful to keep the thread, or the original message, because it can otherwise be difficult to remember all the necessary information.
• If there seems to be too much information, at least include the important sections of previous messages.
• Do not attach unnecessary files or forward chain letters.
• Do not overuse the “high priority” option. People will begin to ignore it if you always mark your messages as high priority.
• Use care when replying to all. Make sure to check whether it is necessary for each person to receive your reply before sending your message to the whole group.
• When emailing a large number of people, use the “Bcc:” field, rather than placing all the addresses in the “To:” field. By entering the addresses into the “Bcc:” field, the recipients will not know that you have sent your message to a large group and they will not have access to everyone else’s email addresses.
• Do not discuss confidential information or offensive topics over e-mail.
• Do not reply to “spam” mail or try to unsubscribe. This only confirms that your e-mail address is “live.” Instead, delete the e-mail or use software that can remove spam automatically.
• Add an e-mail signature can be to the end of your messages to let the recipient know who you are and alternate ways to contact you, such as a phone or fax number. They are usually 4 to 7 lines. Many mailers add e-mail signatures automatically.
• Consider using an e-mail disclaimer to protect your company from liability. An e-mail disclaimer is most effective and efficient when entered at the end of a message. It can be used in both internal and external emails and address the issues of viruses, offensive content, and breach of confidentiality.
• It is important to establish an e-mail policy with guidelines on writing e-mails and using your e-mail system. The policy should also prohibit inappropriate subject matter and warn of risks.

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