1. EMAIL ETIQUETTE What you need to know about communicating effectively in an electronic medium

2. Introduction to email  In our society, email has become one of the primary means of communication;.  However, most people do not know how to write and send email well.  It is a critical skill, and the sooner that you are able to master it, the easier it will be for you to communicate as a mature young adult.

3. Some facts about email communication that may surprise you Why is this relevant to you?

4. Email is one of the world’s most common forms of communication.  According to a study conducted in May 2009, there are approximately 1.9 billion email users worldwide.  That means that a little more than one in every five people on the earth use email.  That same study projects that by the year 2014 their will be roughly 2.5 billion email users worldwide. Statistic provided by the Radicati Group 2009 & 2010

5. Email is one of the world’s most common forms of communication.  It is estimated that around 294 billion emails are sent every day.  That means that more than 2.8 million emails are sent every second,  And that around 90 trillion emails are sent per year. Statistic provided by the Radicati Group 2009 & 2010

6. Email is the preferred form of communication for business.  730 million email accounts are held by business users.  That’s over 25% of all email accounts.  On average a single user’s business email account receives around 25 email messages per day.  This number is increasing at rate of 10% per year  The average business user spends 2.6 hours per day reading and responding to email.  At a 9:00 to 5:00 job that is around 1/3 of your work day

7. Email is the preferred form of communication for business.  Despite the massive amount of emails sent each day by businesses, approximately 60% of business correspondence has grammar or spelling errors.  In the business world, these errors could cost your company business, or they might even cost you your job!

8. Tips for writing an effective email So what should you do?

9. Introduction to email  When composing email, simply follow the steps in the following simple checklist.  Before hitting “Send,” be sure to check yourself with the email etiquette guidelines provided.

10. Write a subject line that is concise but specific. Don’t leave the subject line blank. DO Subject: Help for Short Story Essay DON’T Subject: Subject: Hello, this is Richard, and I have a question about the upcoming short story essay

11. Use a font that has a professional, neutral look (Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier). DO Dear Ms. Painter, I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do. Thank You, John Doe DON’T Dear Ms. Painter, I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single- spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do. Thank You, John Doe

12. Write a salutation that is respectful and appropriate. DO Dear Ms. Painter, DON’T ‘Sup Teach, Or Hey! And Do not leave the salutation blank!

13. When writing the body of your email, use polite, conversational language. DO I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do. DON’T I NEED UR HELP!!!!!! i dont kno how to do the asinment u told us to do 2day. email me back asap. URGENT!!!!

14. Be sure to bring your email to an appropriate close. DO Dear Ms. Painter, I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do. Thank you, John Doe DON’T Dear Ms. Painter, I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do.

15. Before sending the email, ALWAYS check for punctuation, spelling, and grammatical errors. DO I’m a little confused about the short story essay. Does it have to be double-spaced or single-spaced? Does it have to have multiple characters? Other than that, I think I understand everything we need to do. DON’T I NEED UR HELP!!!!!! i dont kno how to do the asinment u told us to do 2day. email me back asap. URGENT!!!!

16. Tips  The subject line should summarize the message.  Good – Subject: Question about Report  Bad – Subject: Hey!  Don’t assume the recipient knows the background. Always provide any important details that are necessary to understand your message.  Good – I need some help with the vocabulary from Friday.  Bad – I need help with that assignment we did last week.  Keep the message concise. Get to the point and be specific about what actions are needed.

17. Tips  Use the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field when sending bulk email.  This keeps the other recipients’ email addresses private.  Don’t SHOUT at people!! Anything written in capital letters is considered shouting.  Avoid angry outbursts. Think before you hit “Send.” Once written and sent, an email may not be able to be recalled.

18. Tips  Always use correct punctuation and grammar. Do not use too many exclamation points! < Like this one  Use a good layout to improve readability.  Use spaces and breaks between paragraphs to make it easier for your reader  Use appropriate sentence patterns to make your writing more understandable  If you wouldn’t say something like that in real life, think about how you would say it.

19. Tips  Keep the thread of emails together; use the “Reply” button.  Use correct spelling. Spell-check is a wonderful invention. Use it, but don’t rely on it solely. Go back and check yourself!  A funny miscommunication spell-check will not catch: What you said was: I was really excited to get your massage yesterday. What you meant to say was: I was really excited to get your message yesterday.  Don’t “Reply All” unless necessary.

20. Tips  Avoid using acronyms, abbreviations, and emoticons in formal and/or professional correspondence.  No LOL or  Edit the superfluous (unnecessary) text out of emails.  Just say no to chain letters!  Do not be overly familiar with the recipient.  In other words don’t write an email like you would talk to your friend.

21. Tips  Keep download sizes to a minimum.  Avoid illegal activities.  Talk of them (i.e.: drugs, theft, vandalism)  Using email to commit illegal acts (i.e: sharing music, software)  Email is not confidential, so be conscious of what you write!