Business Email Pitfalls: Emoticons, Abbreviations And Slang
With technology permeating our daily lives more and more, people can put themselves in precarious situations that can be hard to wiggle out of. One of the most significant areas where these abuses can arise is with E-mails.
This form of communication has been used for over a decade now however the etiquette for communicating with it can elude some individuals. There are a few ground rules an individual should follow when drafting any sort of electronic correspondence for business purposes.
Firstly does the message meet the mom test, meaning would your mother approve if the message was sent to her. Some people have been known to send business communications with the intent of being comical, a joke, what have you however no matter how funny someone may think it is another person could perceive it as rude and completely unprofessional.
Second, do not send a message without proof reading it, most people write up a message and hit send without giving it a second look. When we type what our mind may say one thing while our fingers may type something completely different. Reading the message over again allows an individual a chance to correct any mistakes.
Keep in mind that these messages are for business related purposes so ensuring decorum is followed at all times are vital. A good rule is to ask oneself a question, would you buy from someone that was not completely professional, chances are if you wouldn’t then others would not as well.
When drafting an E-mail refrain from emoticons, even though they may be common in most social interactions the business communications must be concise and appropriate for the subject. Also abbreviations and slang is frowned upon in communications since it presents an overly laid back approach.
Before hitting send imagine this letter was going to the President of the United Sates, if a person feels it is good enough for the commander in chief it should be find for business clients.