By Ken Snodin
In this day and age where email usage is so prevalent, sometimes people get lazy and forget to construct the best message they can. Email can be used in business as well as for personal use. However, with email handling so much communication, people take advantage of it and fail to put a coherent thought together. The following are some tips that will help you build a polite email.
For starters, be concise. In this arena, less means more. Expert say any message of more than 100 lines is considered long and will probably not be read. Some companies are taxed for every second of Internet connection, so they will not be happy to accept messages that are too long.
Be careful with attachment. Don't use it to send a short message. Use it to augment your message or to send work or another project. Attachments can be tricky so be sure to use them wisely. It's also a good idea to let the party know what the attachment is for. Many people are wary of attachments as they have been known to contain viruses. Some business have a firewall set up to intercept attachments so depending on the type it is, it may not even reach its destination.
Know who you are sending the email to. You need to pay close attention when you address an email to multiple recipients. First, be sure that everyone on the list needs the information that you are sending. If there are people that don't need the message or if it doesn't apply, then you may have to deal with some angry people. No one wants their inbox cluttered with junk mail. Also be sure that the addresses are current. Take the time to check the addresses every so often and make necessary updates.
Be careful of what you write. Again, since email use is so widespread, it's easy to become very familiar with the message. However, not everyone appreciates such informal notes. If you are not addressing a person you know, then don't use short phrases. It may also seem unprofessional to use emoticons, so avoid them. Once you construct your email run a spellcheck to make sure everything is correct. Emails with a lot of mistakes don't look good and make a bad impression.
Formatting problems. Not all email programs are created equal. With this being the case, stick to the easiest format available. Email is for communication, not a design exercise. Simplicity is usually the best way to go.
Starting and finishing. Be sure to start your message with a proper opening. Many times people jump right into the body of the email. It looks better to have a simple opening such as 'Dear' or 'Hello'. Both are appropriate. You can choose to end with 'Sincerely' or if you want something more informal, go with 'All the best' or 'Yours truly'.
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