Who needs a lesson in how we communicate? Probably lots of us these days. We’ve all gotten those e-mails that read horribly but the sender didn’t mean to come across so rudely. I recommend Tim Sander’s 12 rules for e-mail ettiquette as a good place to start to develop your personal e-mail policy. So while you’re waiting for that to arrive in the mail, get rid of these phrases.
1. blah blah blah, don’t you think?
In real life this phrase is useful because you’re inviting the person you’re speaking with to share their ideas and bounce some brainstorming around. Online it’s just a one-way conversation and comes across a bit smug and patronizing
2. No
No is something you say to someone’s face or at the very least over the phone. When someone asks you a question in e-mail, respond with either a yes or a request for more information. If you need to reject their request then have the common courtesy to say it in person or let them hear your voice. They’ll probably have questions like “why,” and again, in an e-mail you can’t have that conversation
3. Any wrod spelt worng
Spelling things wrong in an e-mail is akin to telling someone you don’t really care about the message you’re delivering. Honestly, how hard is spell check? Plus, doesn’t your e-mail program automatically underline spelling errors? If not, start using one that does.
