As a business, you’re likely sending hundreds (if not thousands) of emails to clients on a daily basis. While you’re probably not thinking much about what’s in that email, the person on the receiving end might. If you’re sending emails, there’s some common internet etiquette that you should be aware of. Most professional individuals are sending emails day in and day out, meaning that mistakes can sometimes be made while typing things out, according to rel=”nofollow”Business Insider. There are pitfalls to email communication that you should attempt to avoid at all costs, as these mistakes can at best lead to misunderstandings and at worst lead to errors and omissions insurance claims. Check out this list of the top common business email pitfalls so you and your business will reduce its liabilities.
Always Provide an Opener and a Closer
The biggest thing many forget to do is providing an opener and a closer for their email. An email that’s lacking one or both lacks professionalism. Always go through your email and make sure it is properly formatted and composed. You should always also scan for any grammatical errors, which can be easy to overlook when writing up emails quickly. You should always open your email with some kind of greeting to avoid sounding terse and demanding, and the same goes with providing a closer. You should always provide these things so you sound friendly.
Don’t Be Too Formal or Informal
You should always make sure that you’re not being too formal right off the bat, and make sure that you don’t become informal too quickly. If you become informal fast you might come off as sounding disrespectful and short, which can potentially affect your entire conversation. You don’t want to sound like you aren’t a professional, and a poorly-conveyed email could prove to be problematic. Vague wording, which is a common pitfall, can cause the recipient to become confused and frustrated, according to the Language Lab.
Don’t Use Emojis or Abbreviations
Emojis and abbreviations are very unprofessional to use in emails. Resist the urge to use them at all costs.
Don’t Ask Questions That Have Already Been Answered
Don’t waste time by asking unnecessary questions, especially if it’s already been discussed in previous emails. It makes it seem unprofessional and it makes it seem like you didn’t take the time to actually read and digest the information the first time around. Before sending an email, try to refresh yourself on what has already been said.
Don’t Hit Reply All
Hitting reply all is one of the worst things you can do when it comes down to business email pitfalls. Unless what you’re saying applies to everyone, respond to only the sender.
About ISU / The Olson Duncan Agency
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