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Email writing takes up a significant portion of our every workday.  We dress, speak and act accordingly, but we may be forgetting about some crucial etiquette in emailing that is equally as important as any of our other communication means. Keep in mind some of the simple email etiquette listed below that may ordinarily be taken for granted.

• Include a clear, direct subject line.
• Keep messages simple and to the point.
• Avoid all caps (this indicates yelling), bold (aggressive), and multiple exclamation points (!!!!!) or question marks (?????). You risk looking childish and unprofessional.
• Use your CUE email address for CUE-related business.
• Understand that your email can be saved and forwarded only to emerge later. Make sure that whatever you send out is something you’re comfortable to be resent to another individual(s).
• Use ‘To: CC: and BCC:’ fields appropriately. Addressees in the cc (carbon copy) field see each other’s email addresses. Addressees in the bcc (blind carbon copy) field does not see each other’s email addresses, only the sender’s.
• Hit “reply all” rarely and with discretion.
• Be cautious with humour.
• Know that people from different cultures speak and write differently.
• Proofread every message.
• Add the email address last. This ensures that if you accidentally hit the Send button, it does not send it outright. This also gives you time to proofread your emails first.
• Double-check that you’ve selected the correct recipient.
• Respond reasonably promptly.
• Don’t email angry.
• Avoid unprofessional fonts.
• Be careful with confidential information.
• Be courteous.
• Or if it warrants it, meet in person or pick up the phone occasionally.

Remember, your email is a reflection of you. In the business world, other people’s opinions matter more than you think and their perception of you will be critical in making a good impression.