The email is such an integrated part of modern life that a lot of people probably don’t know where it began. The very first email was sent back in 1971; however, it didn’t really become a popular means of communication with the public until the mid-nineties. Even then, it was mainly used s an informal means to communicate with friends on the off chance they were also using the computer.
Nowadays, we have social media platforms to communicate in such a way, so email has now become the formal way to communicate in the modern world. With this slow change, it has left a lot of people confused about how to use this communication method properly in the workplace. Here’s what you need to know.
Forget The Recipient For A Second
History will one day be full of examples of workers who accidentally sent the wrong email to a work colleague or manager. All it takes is writing out an incoherent or rambling message and accidentally hitting send. To avoid becoming one of these people, you must remember that an email cannot send without a recipient’s address in the box.
As such, you can take as long as you want to compose your thoughts properly if you just put in the recipient’s address last. That way it won’t matter if you accidentally hit send a bit prematurely.
Double Check Your Email Addresses
There are two common occurrences in the modern workplace that can frustrate the heck out of any employee. One occurrence is when you finish an email, and it just won’t leave your inbox for some reason. It doesn’t matter how much you click send; the machine just won’t send your email. This is particularly frustrating if you have an upcoming work deadline.
The second occurrence involves spending far too long waiting for a reply to an email that you sent hours ago. The main reason that you are not receiving a reply may not be rudeness on the recipient’s part. They may not have received anything from you. Again, this can be awkward and pose more problems if your email needs to meet a tight deadline. You can avoid both of these outcomes by double-checking the email address of the person you are trying to reach. An email won’t send if the email address you have entered does not exist, and a small typo can send your email to a completely different person than you expected.
Sign Off Correctly
The most confusing question regarding email etiquette by far is knowing how to sign off correctly. There is no one way to correctly sign off an email in the workplace, it all depends on the circumstance. To sound more professional, you can always use ‘regards’ or ‘sincerely’ and follow with your name.
Of course, most work relationships evolve over time, but it is still important to remain professional. Therefore, you can always use a ‘thank you;’ or a ‘much obliged’ if you are feeling less formal in your work environment. However, it is still important to know what to avoid in the workplace. There are very few professional settings where it is appropriate to use abbreviations like ‘thx’.
Compress Files
The main body of your email isn’t always the sole focus of the message you want to send. Email in the workplace normally involves sending your work across as an attached file. But this isn’t always easy.
Sometimes, a large file may not send quickly or could be difficult to download on the other end. Calling IT support from Totality Services for help with an email is not a great use of their professional services. That is why it is important to compress any large files into smaller documents so that they are easy to manage for your intended recipient.
Use The CC Tool
Sending one email incorrectly when you have looming deadlines can be time-consuming. However, can you imagine this feeling if you have to send the same email multiple times? Fortunately, the CC tool exists, so you don’t have to waste your time doing this.
If you want multiple people to see the same email, just copy their names into the CC box. That way, everyone gets to see the same thing without you needlessly having to re-type the same thing over and again. These tools exist for a reason, so make sure you learn how to use them correctly.
Conclusion
The email has been around in the workplace for so long that everyone should know how to use it correctly. There will even come a time when future generations no longer need to learn this stuff. For now, though, you be thankful that there is still plenty of advice available online surrounding the subject.
