Mind etiquette, good sense when e-mailing on work time

By Pete Bach. Originally printed in the Appleton Post Crescent, August 4, 2009

Business etiquette expert Barbara Pachter said it's best to start with the obvious when e-mailing on work time.

Get the recipient's name right, she said.

"In the last couple of weeks I received two e-mails from people who sent them to the wrong Barbara," she said. "They were very professional, nothing that was really controversial that I shouldn't have seen. But we're so busy these days and they got me to thinking that maybe people need reminding."

It's not hard to select the wrong person from one's address book when e-mailing, said Pachter, who runs Pachter & Associates, Cherry Hill, N. J.

She suggested adding the e-mail address last to be sure of reaching the intended recipient.

E-mail communications should sport a professional address -- never an inappropriate one like "sexyone@..." or some such -- and be sparing with the humor, since your message can come across incorrectly, Pachter said.

Mary Felton, president of HR Business Partners, an Appleton consulting business, had some suggestions of her own.

"Think before you click," she said. "Keep it short. State the facts. Once you send an e-mail it's gone and no longer private (since) it can be forwarded."

Think before you click

Do's and don'ts to make sure e-mails sent to customers, managers, colleagues or potential employers have a professional tone:

• Double check that you've selected the right recipient. Pay attention when typing a name from your address book in the "To" line. It's easy to select the wrong person.
• Add the e-mail address last. You don't want to send an e-mail before you have finished writing and proofing it. Even when you're replying to a message, it's a good precaution to delete the address and insert it once you're sure the message is ready to be sent.
• Use a professional e-mail address. "Hotmama@...", "Diva@...", or "the sexyone@..." are not appropriate addresses.
• Do not come across abrupt -- unless you knowingly want to. Read your message out loud. If it sounds harsh to you, it will sound harsh to the reader. You'll seem friendlier if you use a salutation.
• Make your message easy to read. Looks count. Vary the length of your sentences and paragraphs. Long sentences or paragraphs are more difficult to read.
• Be cautious with humor. You can bomb badly. Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written.
• Proofread every message. Mistakes will be noticed and, depending upon the recipient, you will be judged for making them.

On the Web - www.pachter.com

Pete Bach: 920-993-1000, ext. 430, or pbach@postcrescent.com