Transcript
Erin Orstrom
Rachel Miller
International English Institute
BASIC E-MAIL ETIQUETTE
What Does Etiquette Mean? • Etiquette - (noun) conventional
requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/)
• Basically, rules or expectations for appropriate behavior in certain situations
• Many examples:
• Business etiquette
• Dining etiquette
• Classroom Etiquette
• Work/Office etiquette
• “Netiquette” – Internet Etiquette
Why is Etiquette Important? • Clarity!
• Politeness – words express tone (what does tone mean?)
• a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, or intonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning, feeling, spirit, etc.
(http://dictionary.reference.com/)
• Helps people better understand what you are asking for and evaluate your needs
• Helps the person receiving your e-mail know who you are so they can correctly & quickly answer your questions or request
• Student ID numbers
• Any other pertinent information
Example E-mail Layout 1. The e-mail address of
the person(s) you are sending your e-mail
2. A subject - what the e-mail is about (Grades, questions, help, etc.)
3. A greeting/salutation
4. A short introduction
5. Your request or reason for your e-mail
6. Politely, thank the person for their time.
7. Closing or Sign-off
8. Your FULL name - first AND last name (otherwise, the person will have no idea who you are and may ignore your e-mail)
E-mail Example #1
E-mail Example #2
E-mail Example #3
E-mail Example #4
E-mail Example #5
Formal vs. Informal (Casual) Contacts
• University professors
• University personnel (ex. admissions office representatives)
• First time contacts
• Friends
• Family
• IEI teachers and staff
Formal Informal
*When unsure, chose to be formal
http://www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/formal-and-informal-email-phrases/
Examples of Greetings
• Dear Sir or Madam,
• To whom this may concern:
(if you do not know the name of
who you are e-mailing)
• Dear Mr./Ms. ______,
(do NOT use Mrs. or Miss when
emailing a woman you do not
know)
• Hi/Hey,
• Dear _____,
• The person’s first name: Erin,
Rachel,
Allison,
Formal Informal
Good Morning/Afternoon,
Greetings,
Hello,
Semi-Formal
Examples of Closings
• Warmly,
• Sincerely,
• Sincerely Yours,
• Yours Truly,
• Best,
• Take Care,
• Talk to You Later,
• Thanks,
Formal Informal
Semi-Formal
Thank You,
Regards,
Best Regards,
General Guidelines for Replies
• Please allow between 24 - 48 business hours (1-2 days) for a reply
oMost businesses’ normal hours are around 8 AM – 5 PM.
oMany people do not reply to e-mails after business hours, but this varies by person and by business.
• Allow enough time for a response after you send an e-mail request.
oPlease do not call to see if the person either received your e-mail or has replied yet - it is an inefficient use of your time as well as the other person’s time.
•Plan ahead!
To, CC, and BCC
• To: default category for recipients
o Everyone that the email is sent to can see the other recipients
• CC: “Carbon Copy”
o You send the e-mail “To” someone because the message is intended for them, but you can CC someone else not because you need a reply from them, but so that they have the information and “stay in the loop.”
• BCC: “Blind Carbon Copy”
o You can send to multiple recipients (people) but they cannot see who else the e-mail was sent to.
Extra Tips • Try to type your e-mail in English first.
• Use a dictionary and/or a thesaurus instead of a translator (ex. Google translate), as they do not always provide accurate translations.
• Use a translator as a last resort.
• Save the contact information of people you email often or that are important into your email or phone Contacts
• Examples: teachers, office staff, university admissions representatives
• sometimes they are saved in your ‘Other’ contacts for you automatically
Extra Tips
• Simple & readable font
• 12-14 point font size
• Black text color
• Correct capitalization and punctuation
• Do not write in all CAPITAL LETTERS
• No emojis, emoticons :-), or out of place symbols (~, *, ^,<3)
• Simple is best. Your e-mail still needs to be clear and polite.
Extra Resources • Boomerang
Useful for:
• Scheduling e-mails to send at a later date and/or time
• Sending an e-mail back to the top of your inbox to follow up if someone hasn’t replied
• Sidekick
Useful for:
• Tracking e-mails to see if they have been opened (only works with one recipient)
• Tracking if links within the e-mal have been clicked
Boomerang for Gmail Dashboard
Sidekick Activity Stream Example
Activity: Compose an E-mail
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