A group of us got talking, on our networking forum, about the importance of professionalism and the fact that it needs to be extended even through email.

All of us get really busy at times and could get hounded by emails coming in. It would seem very easy to shoot off a short little one word or one sentence response to our clients or coworkers but it really shows a lack of professionalism. It can give a person the idea that you could not be bothered to spend a few extra moments to send the email in a polite and professional way. They might even feel neglected and find the short blip a bit rude.

Even if the answer is simple in nature, it is very important to take the time to draw up a well written email. This email is an extension of your business and is a reflection of you.

Some simple tips are…

• Applying the recipients name shows that you are taking the time to address their issue and shows attention to detail.
• Keep the response brief and to the point but be sure to explain yourself clearly. You want the recipient to understand your response while trying to avoid over complicating things with a lengthy response.
• Sign the email with your name and your signature. You should have your business name and ways for you to be contacted written in your signature block.

Those tips are easy to apply and don’t take very much time. It is well known that face to face contact is a time to be professional but some tend to forget that communication through email can be just as important.

While doing some research I came across a few other articles about writing professional emails…

Email Etiquette
Formal Email Is Not the Place for ‘Trendy’
Business E-mail Messages & Professionalism

Bookmarking:

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 30th, 2007 at 8:55 pm and is filed under Graphic Design, Business, Tips & Tutorials. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.