1. MAIL MANAGEMENT

2. Why Email Etiquette is important
Professionalism
Efficiency
Protection from liability
Professionalism: by using proper language your company will convey a professional image.
Efficiency: s that get to the point are much more effective than poorly worded s.
Protection from liability: employee awareness of risks will protect your company from costly law suits.

3. FOCUS ON 8 C’S Clarity Conciseness Correctness Completeness
Consideration
Courtesy
Construction
Common Tips

4. Clarity - Enhances Readability
Shorten Sentences by creating one idea per
sentence
Shorten Sentences by turning nouns into verbs
Include examples and other visual aids when
desirable
Since reading from a screen is more difficult than reading from paper, the structure and lay out is very important for messages. Use short paragraphs and blank lines between each paragraph.
Shorten Sentences by creating one idea per sentence - When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview.
Eg: From – Two ideas
The administration Manager has requested the installation of an additional unit at your address for the purpose of providing extra facilities for the staff in that areas
To – Two Separate Sentences
The administration Manager has requested the installation of an additional unit at your address. Its purpose will be to provide extra facilities for the staff in that area.
Shorten Sentences by turning nouns into verbs –
From – utilization of the computer in payroll preparation will bring about a reduction in clerical costs.
To - using the computer to prepare payrolls will reduce clerical costs
Include examples and other visual aids when desirable

5. CLARITY The Fog Factor This factor tells you whether your writing is
‘communicating’ or is it ‘foggy’ i.e. confusing.
How to calculate Fog Factor
Take a typical sample of about 100 to 200 words of your
writing. Count the number of sentences. Count all the
long words with 3 or more syllables, excluding proper
nouns.
Then apply the fog factor:
Divide the number of long words by the number of sentences.
Clear writing has a factor of less than 3.
Above 3 is “Distinctly Foggy”.
The Fog Factor
Syllable is the sound heard when a word is pronounced.
Eg: Words - that, so. All have one syllable,
Cla-ri-ty has 3 and
Co-mmu-ni-ca-tion has 5.

6. Conciseness – Get to the Point
The KISS rule
Avoid repetition
Remove redundancies
The Kiss Rules
Keep It Short and Simple. Use simple sentences, words that don't need a dictionary.
Avoid Repetition
From - We refer to your letter requesting for information in connection with Joe Blow’s taxable income for Assessment Year In connection with Mr. Joe Blow’s taxable income for Assessment year we wish to submit the following
To - We refer … In this connection…
Remove Redundancies
Eg: Mr. Kerkar’s suggestion involves public support of a mass transit system to move large masses of people.

7. A Leave Application
Dear Sir, My mother-in-law has expired and I m responsible for it. Please grant me ten days leave. Regards, N Narayan

8. Correctness Font Size & Font Colour The Magic of Spells Write Right
Without Punctuation, its difficult to read
Plz Don’t Abbrvt
Do not write in CAPITALS
Font Size & Font Colour
Verb Usage
The Magic of Spells
Never forget to use your spell checker. That’s what it’s for. Don’t rely entirely on the spell checker though. If you’re using the wrong spelling for a particular use of a word, i.e. two vs. to vs. too, the spell checker won’t pick it up. A minor typographical error in a lengthy will generally go unnoticed, but a series of typographical, spelling, and grammatical errors will indicate a lack of professionalism and has the potential to cost you business
Write Right
This is not only important because improper spelling, grammar and punctuation give a bad impression of you/your company, it is also important for conveying the message properly.
Without Punctuation, its difficult to read
A correctly framed sentence, with proper punctuation in place, is what you should aim at. Be very careful with commas, especially, as they change the meaning of a sentence.
Plz Don’t Abbrvt
Never use 'sms-ese' or informal abbreviations in your . “U” instead of you, “2” instead of to or too, “plz” instead of please, “thanx” instead of thanks and “4” instead of for are a strict no-no.
Do not write in CAPITALS
IF YOU WRITE IN CAPITALS, IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING. You could get really angry responses to your if you do so, and trigger a flame war
Flames:
Flames, basically, is a verbal attack in electronic media.
To be flamed means that you've sent an to a person (s) that has caused that person (s) to respond in many, not-so-nice words. It's basically a verbal attack in electronic media.
Font Size & Font Colour
Always keep the font size uniform and use only Black or Blue color for writing . For highlighting purpose make the word bold. Avoid using Red color as Red signifies danger, so use it when urgent.
Verb Usage
Use active instead of passive (Debatable)
Try to use the active voice of a verb wherever possible. Identify whether the reader is a personal or a client to decide the verb usage. For instance, 'We will process your order today', sounds better more personal; while 'Your order will be processed today‘ is a more formal and can used for audience like clients. The first sounds more personal, whereas the latter, especially when used frequently, sounds unnecessarily formal.

9. Completeness Answer all questions asked
Check for the Five W’s - Who, What, When, Why, Where
Use Facts & figures
Answer all questions asked
An reply must answer all questions, and pre-empt further questions – If you do not answer all the questions in the original , you will receive further s regarding the unanswered questions which will not only waste your time and your customer’s time but also cause considerable frustration. Moreover, if you are able to pre-empt relevant questions, your customer will be grateful and impressed with your efficient and thoughtful customer service.
Check for the Five W’s – Who, What, When, Why, Where
Try to give all necessary information to the recipient
Use facts & figures
Try to use facts, figures, reference to convey your point.

10. Consideration Use the YOU attitude Don’t use that TONE with me
Be Gender - Neutral
Use the YOU attitude
Let the reader feel that he is being considered.
Don’t use that Tone with me
Tone is a very important aspect of communication.
Your feelings come across by the way you say something. It is easy to change your tone when you’re speaking. When you’re writing it’s very hard to do so. Whenever you write an , you should read your message over several times before you hit send. Make sure that you come across as respectful, friendly, and approachable. And don’t sound curt or demanding. Sometimes just rearranging your paragraphs will help.
Be gender - Neutral
Gender-neutral language is politically correct -- couch your accordingly. This essentially means you should not assume a person's gender on the basis of the designation. Keep the neutral

11. Courtesy Mind your P’s & Q’s Do not be over Courteous and Lame
Omit expressions that irritate, or belittle
Apologize only when necessary
Like an arrow shot from a bow
Mind your P’s & Q’s
History of the quote
Though a friendly tone is encouraged, basic corporate etiquette rules do apply. So, maintain a well-mannered, friendly polite stance.
Do not be over Courteous and Lame
Be sincerely tactful, thoughtful and appreciative in your writing. But don’t be too courteous or lame.
Eg 1: A written message from assistant to a boss which says, ”Sir, Mr. Reddy called. He wanted to speak to you urgently, sir. I need to go out got for an hour, sir, have an emergency, sir.
Eg 2: We are truly grateful for your kind co-operation
Omit expressions that irritate, or belittle
Eg: Wrong usage: As mentioned several times during our previous meeting we require further information to complete our job.
Correct Usage: We refer to our previous reminders and request you to forward the required information to enable us complete our assignment
Apologize only when necessary
Eg: We sincerely apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused.
Use with reference to authorities even when it is not your fault.
Avoid using with reference to the client if it not your fault
Like an arrow shot from a bow
An is like the spoken word -- once sent, you can't recall it. By the time you press the recall button, chances are it has already reached and, with it, your recall message. This compounds the embarrassment. So, think before you dash off something. A mail is like a Black & white proof, which may cause conflicts in future.

12. Poor Usage Examples
No subject line

13. Construction Use a Descriptive & Catchy Subject Line Greet Right
Keep a Pyramid Structure
Always Use your Signature
Use a Descriptive & Catchy Subject Line
Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the recipient as well as yourself. For instance, when you send an to a company requesting information about a product, it is better to mention the actual name of the product, e.g. 'Product A information' than to just say 'product information' or the company's name in the subject.
Greet Right
Address people you don't know as Mr, Mrs, Ms or Dr. Address someone by first name only if you are on a first name basis with each other; it is okay, under these circumstances, to use first names on a formal business missive. If you do not know the name of the person, or whether it is a man or a woman, it is best to address the person concerned as: Dear Sir / Madam, Whomsoever it may concern, The Manager; etc.
Keep a Pyramid Structure
Your mail should be structured as:
Situation: What's the current situation is?
Action items: What you expect from the reader of the mail to-do.
Information: The information you want to give to the reader
Conclusion: Conclude with a Thank You.
Always use your signature
Include a signature of no more than four lines. Your signature should provide the recipient with a means to contact you other than , and should mention your designation, company name etc.

14. Construction The Hot Potato Closing
The hot potato or action item closing technique is
a means of ending a letter with a clear
understanding of what the next step is.
While concluding your ;
Mention clearly of your availability
Give the reader a clear Dead Line
The Hot Potato Closing
The Idea is to always end with a hot potato so that the person will have to get rid of it rather than get burnt. The hot potato will always cause some reaction.
Eg: 1. If you have any question, please do not hesitate to call (Who ever hesitates?)
Instead: I’ll call you next week to answer any questions this letter may have raised.
2. Awaiting your reply. (so wait!)
Instead: can we hear from you by the October 15th?
3. Please return this at your earliest convenience. (That’s after everything else)
Instead: As soon as we receive the signed documents, we’ll be able to process a refund.

15. A Candidate’s Application
Dear Sir, This has reference to your advertisement calling for a typist and an accountant – Male or Female…As I m both for the past several years and I can handle both; I m applying for the post. Thanks & Regards, Ankit Agarwal

16. Common Tips
Be very specific with the use of bold, italic or underline font style
Paragraph and line spacing should be legitimate and visually appealing
Read the thrice before you send it
Reply with original message only
Use proper structure & layout. If multiple questions are asked in a mail, reply just beneath the right question and try to distinguish with font color
Don’t just forward a message, mention the course of action

17. Common Tips Request delivery and Read Receipts Use Follow Up Flags.
Use CC: field sparingly
Use the Bcc: field while you do not want all addressee to know who all are being mailed the same matter
When in Bcc, do not reply. They are sensitive mails
Zip all Attachments. Large files use shared server or websites
Use cc: field sparingly
Do not mark to unnecessary or unwanted people

18. Common Tips
Don't reply to an message when angry, as you may regret it later. Once the message has been sent, you will not be able to recover it
Avoid religious, libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist, communal or obscene remarks
Do not use to discuss confidential information
Do not use Jargons unless you know its meaning
If an discussion doesn’t end in 1-2 replies and get the results that are necessary – STOP
Jargon
An example of incorrect usage of a Jargon - Touch base with you
Usage: A Businessman called a client to fix up a meeting. He said, ”As soon as I reach, I will touch your base.”

19. Poor Usage Examples
Discussion that could have been done on the phone

20. Towards A Helpful Positive Image
Positive language will more likely elicit cooperation rather than argument or confrontation Negative: “We regret to inform you that we cannot process your application, since you have neglected to provide sufficient information. Please complete ALL sections of the attached form and return it to us. Positive: “Congratulations on your decision to start a new business. To process your application we need some additional information. If you return the attached form, with highlighted areas, filled in, we will be able to process your application immediately. We wish you success in your new endeavour.”

21. Remember
DON’T ALWAYS USE OUTLOOK – Just because is easier, pick up the phone or meet in person. Don’t hide behind your computer monitor!
Constructive confrontation or disagreements do NOT get resolved in

22. Questions & Comments

23. Thank You