The Top Twelve E-Mail Mistakes That Can Sabotage Your Career

By Lydia Ramsey

Past President Rotary Club of Skidaway Island

Your e-mail is as much a part of your professional image as the clothes you wear, the postal letters you write (assuming you still do), the greeting on your voice mail and the handshake you offer.  If you want to impress on every front and build positive business relationships, pay attention to your e-mail and steer clear of these top twelve e-mail mistakes:

1.     Omitting the subject line.  We are way past the time when we didn’t realize the significance of the subject line.  It makes no sense to send a message that reads “no subject.”   Given the huge volume of e-mail that each person receives, the subject header is essential if you want your message read any time soon. 

2.     Not making your subject line meaningful.  Your header should be pertinent to your message, not just “Hi” or “Hello.”  The recipient is going to decide the order in which to read e-mail based on who sent it and what it is about.  Your e-mail will have lots of competition.

3.     Not personalizing your message to the recipient.  E-mail is informal but it still needs a greeting. Begin with “Dear Mr. Broome,” “Dear Jim,” “Hello Jim,” or just “Jim.” Failure to put in the person’s name can make you and your e-mail seem cold.

4.     Not accounting for Lack of tone.  When you communicate with another person face to face, 93% of the message is non-verbal.  E-mail has no body language or tone of voice.  The reader cannot see your face or hear your tone so choose your words carefully and thoughtfully.  Put yourself in the other person’s place and consider think how your words will “sound” in Cyberspace.

5.     Forgetting to check for spelling and grammar.  In the early days of e-mail, someone created the notion that this form of communication did not have to be letter perfect.  Wrong.  It does.  It is a representation of you.  If you don’t check to be sure e-mail is correct, people will question the caliber of other work you do.  Use proper capitalization and punctuation, and always check your spelling.  Remember that your spellchecker will catch misspelled words, but not misused ones.

6.     Writing the great American novel.  E-mail is meant to be brief.  Keep your message short. Use only a few paragraphs and a few sentences per paragraph.  People skim their e-mail so a long missive is wasted. If you find yourself writing an overly long message, pick up the phone or call a meeting. 

7.     Forwarding e-mail without permission.  Most everyone is guilty of this one, but think about it.  If the message was sent to you and only you, why would you take responsibility for passing it on?  Too often confidential information has gone global because of a lack of judgment.  Unless you are asked or request permission, do not forward anything that was sent to you alone.

8.     Thinking that no one else will ever see your e-mail.  Once it has left your mailbox, you have no idea where your e-mail will end up.  Don’t use the Internet to send anything that you couldn’t stand to see on a billboard on your way to work the next day.  Use other means to communicate personal, sensitive or confidential information.

9.     Leaving off your signature.  Always close with your name, even though it is included at the top of the e-mail, and add contact information such as phone, fax and street address.  The recipient may want to call you or send documents that cannot be e-mailed. Creating a formal signature block with all the necessary data indicates that you are a professional.

10. Expecting an instant response.  Not everyone is sitting in front of the computer with e-mail turned on.  The beauty of Internet communication is that it is convenient.  It is not an interruption. People can check their messages when it suits them.  If your communication is so important that you need an instant response, use the phone.

11. Completing the “To” line first.  The name or address of the person to whom you are writing is actually the last piece of information you should enter.  Check everything else over carefully first.  Proof for grammar, punctuation, spelling and clarity.  Did you say what needed to be said?  What about your “tone of voice”?  If you were the least bit emotional when you wrote the e-mail?  Did you include the attachment you wanted to send?  If you enter the recipient’s name first, a mere slip of the finger can send a message before its’ time.  You can never take it back.

12. USING E-MAIL WHEN YOU OUGHT TO PICK UP THE PHONE.

E-mail is quick, efficient and impersonal.  Business is built on relationships and the one thing that e-mail cannot do for you personally or professionally is build relationships.  It is a serious mistake to rely on e-mail as you single means of business communication.  Use it for brief messages, but to develop friendships and enhance relationships with clients, colleagues and coworkers, pick up the phone, walk to their office or take them to lunch.

E-mail makes everything easier and faster including making a powerful business impression and establishing positive professional relationships. The businessperson who uses the technology effectively and appropriately will see the results reflected in the bottom line.

Lydia Ramsey is a Savannah based business etiquette expert, professional speaker and author of MANNERS THAT SELL.  She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Skidaway Island.  For more information about her programs and products, call her at 912-598-9812 or visit her web site: http://www.mannersthatsell.com