Emily Eubanks Communications Coordinator Information Office UFIFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology Why is Email Etiquette Important Printed words have personality That personality makes positive and negative impressions on us ID: 576071
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20 Email Etiquette Tips
Emily EubanksCommunications Coordinator, Information OfficeUF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and EcologySlide2Slide3
Why is Email Etiquette Important?
Printed words have personality That personality makes positive and negative impressions on us.Without immediate feedback, misinterpretation happensFollow basic rules of etiquette to construct an appropriate toneSlide4
Everyone Loves Email
Makes it easier to stay in touchFaster and easier sometimes leads to less professionalismEmail often written as a conversationEmail needs same professionalism as traditional mailSlide5
Master Gardeners and email
When you use email in your Master Gardener Volunteer role you are representing the University of Florida You are held to professional standards and policies of the University of Florida and the Master Gardener program Refer to the branding guide for more information http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/mastergardener/pdfs/resources/mg_branding_guide.pdf
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Master Gardeners and email
Should be used for responding to a client, be sure to CC your MG CoordinatorFor communicating Master Gardener business to other MGs Scheduling events Coordinating activities Communicating MG matters
CC your Master Gardener Coordinator in all cases
Emails sent as a Master Gardener are not considered private and can be requested as public records Slide7
Master Gardeners and email
What shouldn’t be emailed to Master Gardeners from a fellow Master GardenerPolitical or religious messagesCommercial messages Such as Garage Sales, Real estate sales or open houses, Invites to businesses or commercial events Non-cooperative or uncivil messages
Rumors, gossip, venting, counter productive messages Slide8
“Email Sins”Slide9
Email
EtiquetteTips
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Think, Write, Think Again
Static, one-way channelThink twice before hitting send
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Adopt a Business-Like Tone
Your emails reflect on both on you, the Master Gardener program, and the Extension Office. This isn’t the place for jokes, chain letters, gossip, or rumors. Write messages as if they’re going to appear on your Master Gardener letterhead
.Slide12
Keep It Short
One topic per emailClear and conciseStraight and to the point
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Keep It Short
Email is a wonderful tool for instant communication in clear, simple language. No need for flowery introductions or poetic conclusions. Slide15
Keep It Short
Think before you type: What essential message do you want to convey? Bullet points are your friends.Slide16Slide17
Be Appropriate
ForwardsSarcastic, humorous, political, or religious emails All no-nos This includes quotes in signaturesDon’t attempt sarcasm or subtle humor
Too much potential for misinterpretation
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Use a Meaningful S
ubject LineFirst thing reader seesUse subject that relates to messageAvoid generic words like “hi” or “check this out”
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Subject Lines
Request specific action in subject lineIf no action, keep the subject line as brief and clear as possibleIf the message content changes, change the subject lineSlide22
Reformatting Subject Lines
Subject: RE: Re: RE: Fwd: [john.doe@example.com: RE: Proposal]
Subject:
ProposalSlide23
The Beginning and The End
Always use a salutationDear Susan, Hello George, Hi Carrie Don’t forget to sign your message
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Proper Addressing and Salutations
Open with Mr. John Smith or Dr. Jan Smith. Include salutation such as "Dear." End your email with "Sincerely" or "Best Regards," and include your signature
fileSlide25
Email Signature
Signature file includes your full name, title and company name. You can include your email or website address but the signature file shouldn't be more than five lines.Emily EubanksAlachua County Master Gardener
University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service
(352) 273-4511
mastergardener.ifas.ufl.edu Slide26
Protect Your Recipients Identity
Know when to use “to”, “cc”, and “bcc”CC is “carbon copy”BCC is “blind carbon copy”
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To, CC, and BCC:What’s the Difference?
Use “To”Those you expect to read & respondThose you are specifically addressing
Use “CC”
Don’t expect a response
Only those who need to know
Remove contacts that don’t need to see your response
Overuse will cause your email to be ignored
Use “BCC”
Protect privacy
When contacts don’t know each other
Email
addresses are hidden (good for large groups)
Check
your motives! Can be considered unethicalSlide28
Sharing Email
Do NOT share other peoples’ email addresses! Informal privacy policyResponsibility to not include sensitive informationSlide29
“Reply to All” Sparingly
Think about how you react when you’re cc:ed on an email you have no stake in (and couldn’t care less about). Internally, this may be appropriate when compiling results or seeking collective input.
In
general, reply only to the person who’s seeking a response.Slide30
General Tips for Electronic Mailing Lists
Avoid discussing private concerns and issuesIt’s okay to address someone directly on the list.Ex, “Hi Leslie, regarding your question
”
Change the subject heading to match the content of your messageSlide31Slide32
Give Memory a Helping Hand
Include original email when replyingDon’t assume people remember every single conversation they have with you
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Use the ‘Read Receipt’ Sparingly
Don’t use it in normal day-to-day activitiesIt’s annoyingDoesn’t necessarily mean they’ve read it
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URGENT! The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Do not send all of your messages marked URGENT or HIGH PRIORITYLoses its effectiveness
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Avoid Special Coding
or FormattingDon’t use colored blocks, colored fonts, graphics, special fonts, or other “pretty” fontsKeep it cleanLoads faster
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Email Ransom Notes
ALL CAPSall lowercaseWrong! Punctuation?Txt Tlk
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No SHOUTING!
Typing in ALL CAPS looks like you’re shouting Harder to readSlide42
no laziness
all lowercase looks lazy and too informalSlide43
Say What?
Text Talk doesn’t make sense to most. Don’t use it. Slide44
Proof, Spell Check, &
Proper FormattingDirect reflection on you
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General Format: Character Spacing
Try to keep your line length at 80 characters or lessIf your message is likely to be forwarded, keep it to 60 characters or lessSet your email preferences to automatically wrap outgoing plain text messagesSlide46
General Format: Lists and Bullets
When you are writing directions or want to emphasize important points, number your directions or bullet your main points.Slide47
General Format: Tone
Write in a positive tone“When you complete the report.” instead of “if you complete the report.”Avoid negative words that begin with “un, non, ex” or that end with “less”
(
useless, non-existent, ex-employee, undecided
)
Use smiles
, winks
;-), and other graphical symbols only when appropriate
Use contractions to add a friendly tone (
don’t, won’t, can’t
)Slide48
Spelling And Grammar
Proofread!Use spell checkHave someone else proofreadCheck for grammar and syntax errorsIt can help to read the letter out loud to ensure it flows properly.Slide49
Take the Time to Send a Reply
Follow up in a timely fashion just to let them know you received itGood manners
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If They Don’t Request It,
Don’t Send It!You cannot email someone about your product/service without their permission. Unless they request that you send them an email, or you have previously done business with them, then it’s illegal to send them an email, period. (Can-Spam Act)
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Compress, Compress, Compress
Ask before sending very large attachmentsSend attachments in several emailCompress into a zipped file
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Choose Attachments Carefully
Avoid attachments if possibleNo more than two attachments per emailAlways with a relevant title and your nameLengthy documents or PowerPoint presentations should only be attached upon request — and never sent without warning.Slide55
Hoaxes as Helpful Hints
If it sounds to good to be true, then it probably is.
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Virus or Virus Advice
Many viruses are spread by email masquerading as warnings about a virusIf you get a virus warning, which usually contains instructions for removing a virus, check Google BEFORE doing anything.
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It Doesn’t Belong to You
Emails transmitted at work are subject to the company's or Universities policiesIncluding the MG volunteer environmentUnacceptable to send jokes and chain emailsLimit personal email correspondence and use a professional email address if you get to choose one
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Private?
No such thing as a “private” email. Your words may get forwarded at any time, and (because they’re university property) they can be retrieved, reviewed, and used in a court of law, if need be.Slide62
Don’t Go Down In Flames!
Flaming is a virtual term for venting or sending inflammatory messages in email.Avoid flaming because it tends to create a great deal of conflict that spirals out of control.Flame fights are the equivalent of food fights and tend to affect observers in a very negative way.What you say cannot be taken back, it is in black and white.
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Keep Flaming Under Control
Before you send an email message, ask yourself “would I say this to this person’s face?”Calm down before responding to messages that offend you. Once you send the message, it is gone.Read your message twice before you send it and assume that you may be misinterpreted when proofreading.Slide64
Responding to a Flame
Empathize with the sender’s frustration and tell them they are right if it’s trueIf you feel you are right, thank them for bringing the matter to your attention.Explain what led to the problem in questionAvoid getting bogged down by details and minor arguments
If you are aware that the situation is in the process of being resolved, let the reader know at the top of the response
Apologize if necessarySlide65
When Will You Get Flamed?
If… you participate on a mailing list or discussion board and break the rules or it is clear you didn't take the time to read them.
it appears that info that is available to you either in a manual or online that can be found with minimal effort is not read in lieu of asking others to spoon feed it to you because you didn't want to take the time to read it. Slide66
Flaming can also be someone just being nasty because they are having a bad day, misunderstood something you typed--or are just a plain jerk.Slide67
It’s Never Private
Sending an email is like sending a postcard
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No such thing as a “private” email. Your words may get forwarded at any time, and (because they’re
university property) they can be retrieved, reviewed, and used in a court of law, if need be.Slide69Slide70
When Email Won’t Work
There are times when you need to take your discussion out of the virtual world and make a phone callIf things become very heated, a lot of misunderstanding occurs, or when you are delivering very delicate news then the best way is still face-to-face. Slide71
When in doubt check with your Master Gardener coordinator