5.1.7 Email etiquette

1. Email Etiquette

Email etiquette helps to:

• communicate better 
• create a better relationship with the recipient

=> Speaking in person versus communicating over email is entirely different.
One phrase in the wrong context could hurt your communications or brand.

That's why following proper etiquette while writing emails is so important because it helps you convey your message clearly:

Source: https://www.mailmodo.com/guides/email-etiquette/#what-is-email-etiquette

2. Basic rules

• "Every e-mail must be answered!" 
  It is recommended to respond to emails within 24 hours if they arrive during business hours. 
  However, if you are the sender give the recipient about the same time to respond. 
  
  You don't have to face each other and the recipient of the e-mail can only read it later, but we still expect an answer from him or her or at least a short a reply or at least a brief acknowledgement that the e-mail has arrived. For this reason, we should answer all e-mails, except of course newsletters, spam or advertising e-mails.
   
•  "There is no need to be rude! 
  Since you are not face to face with the recipient of the email, you sometimes have a tendency to put something you don't like or that didn't go well in a harsher way than in a face-to-face conversation.
  
  Therefore, when writing, you should take a step back and be a little more cautious and remain polite. 
   
  Since you can't see the other person's facial expressions and gestures when communicating by e-mail, it is sometimes difficult to interpret what is meant by what is written and how it is to be understood.
  
  Therefore, when writing e-mails of e-mails, you should pay attention to your own choice of words. 
  
  
• Telephone in time! 
  If the text of the e-mail is difficult to understand or not meaningful enough, it is often best to ask for a reply by e-mail. A conversation by e-mail can sometimes go back and forth back and forth without it being clear what needs to be done.
   
  In this case, you should pick up the phone in good time and call the other person. In this way many things can be clarified much more quickly.

3. Correct communication via e-mail

• e-mails should only be used for simple matters.
  For more complex tasks, additional explanations should be given by telephone.
• choose a meaningful and topic-related subject line.
  
• always write e-mails briefly and to the point. Explain what you expect from the recipient and by when these expectations should be fulfilled.
• since many people sort their emails by projects or tasks in the inbox, you should write a separate email for each topic. This makes it easier to find the mails later on.
  
• E-mails are also business letters and should be written formally. 
  Exceptions apply only in the case of very personal contact.
• avoid long CC lists. This looks unprofessional and often unnecessarily clutters up mailboxes.
  

4. Correct e-mail filing system

• "Separate the receipt of emails and their processing!" 
  Do not use the inbox as a to-do list. It is easy to lose track of everything. Instead, it is best to write down the tasks to be completed on an extra to-do list.
  
  
• work according to the AHA system - i.e. waste, act or file. This way you will get more order in your inbox faster and keep an overview.
   
• use an efficient folder structure, subdivided according to customers or projects. This will help you find relevant mails more quickly.
  
  
• have your mails automatically pre-sorted with the help of rules and keywords.

5. E-mail communication - this is how to proceed