Monday, April 20, 2009

Email Etiquette by Daniel White


Etiquette is something that should be taken very seriously when composing an email, especially if it is a superior or someone that you do not know.

Clarity is the most important component of an email. In order for an email to be understood, the message should be simple and direct getting to the point right off the bat. You can start this off by having an effective subject line as it will then give the recipient the opportunity to prioritize the email.

Another important aspect of the email to consider is that the majority of professionals see their email account as business, therefore it is important that you do not write unnecessarily long paragraphs. You do not want to be wasting the recipients time if it is only a simple question you have to ask.

It is important to be friendly and cordial, however, it is important to stay away from jokes or witty remarks because they may not come off appropriately in an email.

As per attachments, it is important that you do not attach something to an email the first time that you contact someone (unless specifically asked to do so) because the recipient may see your email and instantly think it is junk and then delete it. You should initially write them and introduce yourself and say that you wish to send something as that way they will expect the attachment and it will not get lost. Also, do not send large files such as huge photographs unless you state that the files are large because then it is the readers choice whether or not to open the file.

Email Etiquette is something that can easily be looked over with text messaging being at such a high level in present time, therefore it is extremely important that your email is composed correctly and courteously.

The following is a youtube video which goes over a few other important aspects of email etiquette.



Work Cited
The OWL at Purdue (1995-2009). Email Etiquette. Retrieved April 19, 2009 from: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/636/01/

Image retrieved from

4 comments:

  1. Daniel great work ! haha i liked video alot best part is when he demonstrates how capitalazing of words would sound for reader , lol everything done proffecionaly work sited and all .
    Good luck in finals and Hope we win !!

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  2. Emails make communication between anyone and anywhere easy and efficient. But emails can be very dangerous if your words aren't courteous or are just taken the wrong way. Going back to Cedric's post about sarcasm; you always have to analyze your audience and carefully choose your words. Not all people have the same sense of humor. Not to mention, emails can be saved and used as immediate proof if neccesary. lol god post. Have a great summer.

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  3. wow...great post Daniel. I can really tell you know what you are talking about. Good job and nice video.

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