In the age of technology and modernized communications, it is important that the any electronic mail sent is being thought through before hitting the “send” button to a specific party or even when you “reply all”. Do not be complacent in replies else it will potentially sabotage your image.
Here are some key points we need to take note when we reply our e-emails:
Address the receiving party correctly.
There are times when we get hectic at work and address the receiving party wrongly. As much as the sender may not feel offensive for addressing the wrong person, the receiver may not feel the same. It is important that we address people correctly to show respect and also shows that you are responding with sincerity.
Do not show anger in emails.
Do not fall into traps by expressing anger or reprimanding any party and allow it to keep as evidences. You will meet colleagues who are making you angry deliberately and in turn, make you respond unprofessionally.
Dealing with confidential information.
Always deal with confidential information with care. Critical and highly-sensitive information should not be sent and discussed via email correspondences. You never want to be the culprit to be blamed on any leakage of information. There may be information that could jeopardise business decisions and employees’ tax and salary issues is another one.
Clear subject line.
The recipient may be getting hundreds of emails in a day and it’s important you keep the subject line as precise as possible. Else, the recipient may treat it as trash and discard any unimportant ones. Also make sure that your subject line matches the content of the message. Never try hitting reply from the previous e-mails.
Include a signature.
E-mail signature is important and crucial as it should include your contact details and job information. This gives reader a better understanding on who they are talking to and how they can get in touch with you.
Use an auto-reply when needed.
Use this auto-reply function when you are out of office or is unable to reach out to your senders during office hours. Should they know that the message requires urgent attention, they can reach out to you as soon as they received your auto reply.