Electronic Mail Guidelines

Electronic mail, a widely used communication channel in the business enviroment, clearly has three
major advantages- time effectiveness distance effectiveness , and cost effectiveness. To reap full
benefit from this common and covenient communication medium, follow the basic guidelines
regarding the creation and use of e-mail when used for business purpose.

Message content

Altough perceived as informal documents , e-mail message are business records. Therefore, follow
these effective communication guidelines.

. Write clear , concise sentences , avoid cliches, slang , redundacies ,and wordiness.

. Avoid emoticons and text message jargon or acroyms.

. Break the message into logical paragraphs, sequencing in an appropriate order. White space is
important in e-mail message as well as printed documents , so be sure to add extra space between
paragraphs.

. Limit e-mail message to one idea per message, and preferably limit to one screen.

. Always included a subject line that clearly defines the e-mail message.

. Consider carefully the rececipients of the e-mail ; do not waste your colleagues 'valuable time by
sending or copying unnecessary e-mails.

. spell – check e-mail meessage carefully ; verify punctuation and content accuracy.

. Check the tone of the message carefully. If angry , wait at least one hour before clicking the send
button. Review the message , modify if needed , and then send the message.

Preferences

Although e-mail is a common means of communication , other methods included face to face
communication , telephone , voice mail , and instant messaging . It is important to realice that each
person has preferred methods of communication , and the method will vary depending upon the
message content. To accomplish tasks more efffectively , be aware of individuals' preffered
channels of communication and use those channels if appropiate for the business purpose.

Remember that effective communication is essential to be successful in today's business world.

Apply these important guguidelines as you prepare e-mail message.