March 6th - 2003

Common email mistakes to avoid

Email can be a highly efficient way to communicate, and in many businesses it has flourished, both internally and externally.

Email can be a highly efficient way to communicate, and in many businesses it has flourished, both internally and externally. However, email enthusiasts must remember that email is “in writing” so be careful what you say –and how you say it!

Usually a great deal of thought goes into a written letter, memo or anything else on paper, but most emails are composed with very little consideration. Emails, however, can be even more permanent than paper.

Email is almost like another form of talking so the opportunity for offhand remarks, unguarded comments and careless wording is high. One problem with email is the recipient can easily misunderstand the “tone” of your message. In face-to-face communication you can tell a lot from the other person’s facial expressions.

Although you can use smiley faces and other “emoticons” to convey humor or other emotions, it’s best to save serious conversations for the phone or face-to-face.

There are some simple rules to follow to ensure all of your emails are clear, courteous and professional. Here are 10 tips to keep your email polished:

1. Keep it simple. Email is meant to be brief and to the point. If your email is more than two to three paragraphs long, you might want to consider a phone call or meeting instead.

2. Always include a subject line and make it relevant. Subject lines give the receiver an efficient way to “file” emails and should provide a clear idea of your message – sort of like a headline to an article. For example, sending an email to a colleague with a vague subject line like “Real Estate” is not very helpful – make it clear and your recipient will appreciate it.

3. Reread before you send! Never send out an email without pausing and rereading it first. Check for typos, tone and clarity before you hit the send button. Nobody’s perfect, but you will appear much more professional if your messages are error-free.

4. Be sure to “attach” the attachment. Rereading your email before you send it will also help with this common email faux pas.

5. Never write an email in anger. Use the 24-hour rule to calm down before you write. Remember, unlike speech, email is in writing and can come back to haunt you. If you do write an email in anger, ask someone to read it over and edit before you send it.

6. Don’t send chain letters, jokes and other junk email. Most people find these things unprofessional and a huge waste of time.

7. Go easy on the punctuation marks and symbols. Overuse of exclamation marks dulls their effectiveness and too many smiley faces can be annoying. Also avoid using all capital letters – uppercase is like yelling in email.

8. Don’t mark things urgent unless they really are. Overuse of the “high priority” button is like crying Wolf and when your message truly is urgent, it may not be treated that way.

9. Always check with the recipient of your email before sending large attachments.

10. Remember, although email messages can be quick and snappy, they are a form of business communication so always be polite and businesslike.

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Ontario Real Estate Association

Jean-Adrien Delicano

Senior Manager, Media Relations

JeanAdrienD@orea.com

416-445-9910 ext. 246

Ontario Real Estate Association
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