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There are over 100 billion emails sent and received every day. Not only does this make email the leading form of communication in the business world, but it is also a trend that experts expect to continue throughout 2017.
Email was originally created as a way for individuals in the same company to communicate quickly and effectively. While its uses have now expanded exponentially, it is still the go-to tool for intra-company communication, largely because it serves as a low-cost, low-overhead platform for fast correspondence.
Even though email is perhaps the most economic means of business communication, it does have flaws and negative backlashes. Just think: how many emails do you open, answer, send, or delete each day? A recent study by The Radicati Group reported that the average business professional sends and receives 112.5 emails each day. This makes email the second-most time consuming activity for workers. In fact, reports show that email takes up 28% of the average worker’s time.
Unfortunately, the high volume of emails isn’t the only issue impacting the modern workplace. Poor business email etiquette can greatly burden the communication, trust, and productivity of your business.
Be sure you make the most of your business email by avoiding these seven annoying habits.
- Reply All
Although hitting “reply all” is a great way to immediately disperse information to a large group of people, it can also be one of the biggest, most annoying habits to get into. Before clicking “reply all” think to yourself, “Does everyone need to read this?” The answer is likely no.
- The Essay
Do you find yourself writing an essay when a quick response will do? You’re not alone. However, if you seem to spend more than 10 minutes writing an email, consider picking up the phone or stopping by the recipient’s office to have a conversation.
- The Urgent Email
Though you may send off your email with urgency, once it leaves your outbox you have no control over how soon the recipient will read it or how promptly they will reply. If your message is urgent, opt for a phone call or meeting rather than an email.
- The Sneaky CC
The “cc” feature was created to make it possible to send the same email to two or more people without having to type it twice. Before you cc someone to your email, ask yourself if they really need to see the copy and if it will benefit you or backfire on you. For example, if you and a colleague aren’t seeing eye-to-eye on something, consider taking the issue directly to your supervisor rather than cc’ing them on an email and coming off as a tattler.
- The Overzealous Exclamation Points
As a professional, you should be able to exclaim your excitement with your words, not twelve exclamation points. Too many exclamation points can come off as emotional and unprofessional. Use them sparingly and thoughtfully, and consider the situation before even using them at all.
- The Premature Send
Do yourself and your recipient a favor: before hitting the “send” button, be sure you’ve completed the email and don’t have any last-minute follow up thoughts or questions. Not only do multiple emails on the same subject create confusion and frustration, but they also clutter and fill inboxes. If you are known to send emails too soon, consider removing the recipient’s address and not adding it until you’re sure you are finished composing your thoughts.
- Email Is All
Sure, email is great for many things, but modern technology has developed cloud-based technology that is ideal for tracking tasks, assigning work, collaborating with colleagues, managing approvals or pitches, producing reports, and much more. If you find yourself spending hours a day organizing information on your email browser, think about finding a more effective, efficient way of doing work – email is not the end-all, be-all.
Eliminate Email Madness, Once and For All
If you’re not careful, email can turn into a maddening waste of time. By avoiding the seven annoying habits above, you’ll be able to get control of your email inbox and boost your productivity.
Image courtesy of Goldy at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
