You send and receive emails every single day. As with everything else in life, you may be using email incorrectly, or let’s say awkwardly. In order to make sure that you’re not abusing email, read our list of awkward things you need to stop doing right now:
1 - You sign off your emails in a weird way
For formal emails, you can use various autofills such as Best Regards, Take care, Thanks, etc . Close people like your friends need no sign-off at all.
But it would be weird if you sign your emails with “xoxo”, which is apparently an appropriate sign off for some people! Another weird sign off I’ve seen is the first letter of the sender’s name.
2 - You respond late to chain emails
We all receive chain emails, maybe everyday even. It becomes awkward when you receive an email that has been sent to 10 people about a possible lunch together or even a joke, and you decide to reply to it a week later, after everyone else has responded.
3 - You don’t know how to greet others
Same thing as the sign off etiquette, you can’t start a formal email by “Hey” or without a greeting. And it’s just as awkward if you address your close friend with “Dear”.
4 - You write your emails in all caps
What many don’t understand, is that using the Caps Lock button makes you look horrible not only your email. It’s like you’re shouting for some weird reason that no one can understand. Avoid writing in all caps at all cost.
5 - You hit the “Reply all” button when replying to all your emails
One can’t over stress the importance of NOT hitting the “Reply all” button without thinking. Nothing can be more awkward than writing something intended for only one person to read but have it sent to an entire list of people.
6 - You make typos, skip punctuation or capitals
Grammar is important, so is capital letters at the beginning of each sentence. Using punctuations appropriately is not a plus, it’s essential for formal emails. Avoid exclamation marks but if you must, use it only once or else you’ll be seen as too emotional or exaggerating.
7 - You respond to long emails with much shorter responses
For work or personal correspondence; take into consideration how long is the email and what is expected from you. Replying with a much shorter email makes the sender feel ignored or misunderstood. Make sure you read your email carefully and respond to the major points presented by the sender.
What other things you wish people would stop doing regarding email?
