What You Need to Know about E-mail Etiquette

1. Reply promptly. Every in-bound message from a customer or prospect is a chance to demonstrate the high level of customer service that your organization provides. Always reply, and reply promptly.
   
2. Include a copy of previous e-mails. When replying to e-mails, include the entire message stream. Not everyone can remember every communication that they have had, and this small courtesy makes it easy for the recipient to quickly refresh their memory.
   
3. Write meaningful subject lines. A subject line that clearly announces what the e-mail is about makes it easy for the recipient to distinguish important messages from spam, and also makes it simple to find the message in your history file if you need to refer to it at a later date.
   
4. Be polite. Every message that you send is a reflection on you and your company. Use "please" and "thank you," avoid using all capital letters (the e-mail equivalent of screaming), and don't write anything that you might later regret.
   
5. Pay attention to formatting. The structure and layout of your e-mails will have a big impact on their readability. Use short paragraphs, and insert blank lines between paragraphs. Left justify your text (vs. centering, which is harder to read), use bullet points, and so forth.
   
6. Use standard English. Improper spelling, grammar, and punctuation not only give a bad impression of your company, but can also change the meaning of your message. Re-read your text before hitting the "send" button to be sure it is error-free.