Perception Is Key. Here’s How To Make A Good Professional Impression
Emails… let’s face it, they are not the most exciting form of communication. You must maintain professionalism while getting your point across. You don’t want to reply too fast, but you don’t want to wait too long either. Whether you’re emailing your clients, coworkers, or your boss it can be nerve-racking making sure your email is worded perfectly. Here’s a list of the top errors employees make when emailing, so you can be sure to avoid making the same mistakes!
1. Skipping email salutations and sign-offs
A salutation is the opening line of an email and it is so important. It sets the tone of the email and shapes the recipient’s perception of us. Be sure that you greet the recipient with the appropriate salutation. You wouldn’t want to start of the email on the wrong note. Try to think about your relationship with the person you are greeting, how would you communicate in person?
The sign-off is the last thing our email recipient reads and is equally as important as the greeting. The sign-off influences the overall impression of the message that was sent. A proper email sign-off will complement the contents of an email. If you are unsure how to end your message, go back to the golden question: “How would you say goodbye to the recipient in person?”
2. Irrelevant or bad subject lines
Emails with poor subject lines have very low open rates. You are most likely to get a reply to an email if the subject line relates to the topic in the body of the email. If you want your email to be opened and read by the recipients (of course you do, or else why would you send it?), you must include a related subject line that grabs the reader’s attention.
Here are some tips for creating the perfect subject line:
3. Poor Grammar
When emailing you are unable to use anything other than words to convey a message and imprint an impression on the recipient. No one wants to be perceived incorrectly or not taken seriously, but those with grammatical errors are less likely to be perceived to be reliable, smart, or honest. Make spell check your best friend.
Just to prove our point, University of Michigan researched this subject and found that readers judge strangers more harshly just based on spelling errors!
4. Lengthy Paragraphs
“If you can’t write your idea on the back of my calling card, you don’t have a clear idea,” – Director David Belasco
The purpose of emails is to communicate quickly and easily! We should keep our email paragraphs concise and to the point. Avoid bulky text paragraphs to keep emails clear and easily understood.
Guidelines
5. Not proofreading before hitting the send button
Do not forget to proofread emails before sending them off. Spelling mistakes, poor grammar, and misuse of punctuation can negatively influence recipients and make you look unprofessional.
Read AND re-read emails a few times, before hitting send.
Do not rely solely on spell–check.
6. Not following company policies
Every email leaves a trail. Once emails are sent, they do not vanish so do not write any email that can be hurtful to you or others. Always follow your company policies in professional emails.
Guidelines to follow
7. Misuse of “To”, “Cc” or “Bcc”
Be careful to email right people in the right manner. The “To”, “Cc” and “Bcc” indicate how the email should be read by the recipients.
8. Adding the Email Address First
You do not want to send an email accidentally before you even finish writing!
It’s a good preventive measure to add the recipient’s address after completing composing an email and proofreading it. Insert the email address once you are certain the email is all set to be sent.”
We hope our tips of what NOT to do will help your writing!
