Work E-Mail Etiquette

[JP10]

Haha I do all those daily. Feel that it adds a more personal touch to the email. In most scenarios, we are the sub working for the prime on defense contracts. By working for the prime I more so mean hand holding the prime as they are not knowledgeable in the subject at hand. So typically we are in scenarios where they need to do their job in order for us to proceed. So I am frequently, politely as they pay damn good, telling them to hurry up hahaha.

[e90335e36m3]

On the subject of e-mail etiquette at large, when I started my career in oil & gas 8 years ago, within a few weeks I had a change in bosses. The new boss said that the best way for her to learn was to have her employees copy her on every e-mail, but not specifically to micromanage. A few weeks in, I negotiated a huge contract with GE to perform non-destruction testing of our pipelines. 10 minutes after I sent the fully executed contract, she calls me into her office to tell me that my e-mail style is too formal and may be viewed as disinterested.
It was just professional, something along the lines of "Dear so and so, attached hereto, please find the fully executed agreement. Should you have any additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to working with GE, Respectfully, Me" I was shocked. I told her that what I wrote was perfectly acceptable and expected in the contracts circles and that although I appreciate constructive feedback, unless I was being impolite, rude, etc., I would not be adjusting the way I write for that purpose. I asked if I was? She said no, I said thank you for the feedback and walked out.

[cmyx6go]

Originally Posted by TSII

You have to personalize each relationship you have and they will most definitely appreciate it. PERSONALITY not conformity.

The way to personalize each relationship is to actually talk to someone. Don't get me wrong, I love email for certain things, but there are situations that call for an actual conversation. I want to bang some of my employees heads against the wall. They'll call me with a "situation". I instruct them to call so and so, tell them x, y, z. Let me know how it goes. A few hours go by without any feedback. I'll ask what happened, only to be told that they haven't received a response to the email.

[Joe T]

sales here too:
In one of our trainings (we used to do a 4 year extensive Sandler course... best sales training I've ever received and I've been in sales for 23 years) our trainer made a suggestion, and in fairness, it depends on your audience and content.

Because the world has become so immediate and get to the point the suggestion was if applicable, subject line and first line emails are best. No skipped line. The premise is that most people are now emailing and responding via phone. if you can get your whole email in the subject line and first line of the email the recipient can see the entire email on their phone in the email preview

email response is almost immediate probably 90% of the time

[No one]

Originally Posted by KRS_SN

I find that direct questions with clear information get direct answers without to and fro emailing for eg emailing an accountant

Dear Mark,
Could you tell me about tax savings and cars
Best regards

As opposed to

Mark
If I buy a new 60k 5 series how much can I claim back in tax
krs

You are mixing up the envelope and the message. The first example is a polite addressing with a vague question. The second is a rude addressing with an accurate question. Neither looks perfect.

Originally Posted by JP10

Feel that it adds a more personal touch to the email.

Personal and business shouldn't be mixed. If the addressee is your buddy formal addressing would appear incorrect but still perfect for a business matter (at least to distinguish).

Originally Posted by e90335e36m3

The new boss said that the best way for her to learn

She wanted to learn! Is it even possible that a manager is a good professional? At management, hopefully.

[e90335e36m3]

Originally Posted by No one

You are mixing up the envelope and the message. The first example is a polite addressing with a vague question. The second is a rude addressing with an accurate question. Neither looks perfect.

Personal and business shouldn't be mixed. If the addressee is your buddy formal addressing would appear incorrect but still perfect for a business matter (at least to distinguish).

She wanted to learn! Is it even possible that a manager is a good professional? At management, hopefully.

Nope. She used it micromanage the hell out of her team. I left for aerospace within 6 months, a former coworker told me she was fired within a year. No surprise.

[JP10]

Originally Posted by No one

You are mixing up the envelope and the message. The first example is a polite addressing with a vague question. The second is a rude addressing with an accurate question. Neither looks perfect.



Personal and business shouldn't be mixed. If the addressee is your buddy formal addressing would appear incorrect but still perfect for a business matter (at least to distinguish).



She wanted to learn! Is it even possible that a manager is a good professional? At management, hopefully.

Not in sales pal, have a good relationship with all of our primes. So respectfully disagree haha

[Murf the Surf]

Originally Posted by cmyx6go

Fucking corporate BS nonsense! I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with this BS. As a business owner, I just can’t imagine working for Corporate America. One of my employees just gave notice. She is relocating and got a job with a big Corp. She has no filter between her brain and mouth. I warned her that she can’t say things there she says here.

Don't candy coat it. God, I'd love to work with you.

[Fantastipotamus]

I’ll just say this, I have worked in a corporate atmosphere for the last 18 years now, big company, few thousand employees, etc.

As someone in IT, feel free to leave off any sort of greeting or showing of appreciation for my time, and I’ll feel free to place your request at the bottom of my large ‘fires to put out’ list.

IMO, if you recognize that the recipients time has value, and thus you appreciate them spending some of that value on your email, a ‘thank you’ or other sign of appreciation is warranted.

[No one]

Originally Posted by JP10

Not in sales pal, have a good relationship with all of our primes. So respectfully disagree haha

Nor am I. It's just irrelevant. And yes, "tastes" differ. I once worked for a small company where the boss liked to be very informal and saw himself as a "father" in a "family". I can't eat that shit. Say, when he offered me to finish an apple he had started, I chose to ignore that. Some employees behaved very differently in his presence and without. He found my formal E-mail style unfriendly/offensive.

[CTinline-six]

Originally Posted by Tyga11

- Never end your e-mail with Thank you or Thanks because it makes you look weak

Hello "e-mail coach",

Go get a real job.

Thanks!

CTinline-six

[DETRoadster]

Change your e-mail signature to include a disclaimer "Dear reader, sorry if my e-mail came across as curt. I've been instructed by my company to draft it as such out of fear of appearing weak. I trust you'll understand. Thanks!"

Seriously though, there's no one size fits all, right or wrong, approach to e-mail format. Whether you work for a mega corporation or are a sole proprietor, how you approach interacting with people both inside and outside the company is part of your company culture. Your company is clearly too weak to craft a culture of its own and needs to rely on consultants. My guess is they had a general idea of what they want to project, which is strength and decisiveness, and guided the consultant as such. It's a really weird position to take. Caring more about appearing weak that engaging people on a human level. If I was an outside customer or supplier of yours and received e-mails from you with no greeting and no closing, I'd think you are either a dick or lazy.

[Alfisti]

After 20 years in ops I just joined the world of sales. You know, 'cos i am such a well spoken and indirect guy who is careful with what he says!

I always start with Hi and end in Thanks cos i know i am hassling people ffs, what a load of BS.

[Nuckle]

Originally Posted by unluky

Total horseshit. I've been in sales for 40 years. If a customer doesn't call me an asshole or douchebag at least once a week I don't feel like I'm doing my job correctly.

Obviously you can't do that on your initial email, but that's the level I want to get to with all my customers. When they need something I don't want them to think of my company first, I want them to think of me first.

The idea is to get them to the point where they feel like they're cheating on you if they buy from anyone else. And at the same time you provide them with the kind of service that makes them never want to go anywhere else.

I've never been a huge believer in sales rules for everybody. You either have the knack for sales or you don't. And everyone has a little different style that works for them.

Of course I don't really like following rules, so that may just be me.

I could not explain it better than this. I have only been in sales for 26 years though.

[wren57]

It's asinine to use a form email, especially one that's as cold and impersonal in a sales setting of all places. Communication 101 is knowing your audience/listener. Everyone you interact with has different levels of expectations of you and different communication styles. Learning how to adapt to the style of each individual during your communications will lead to far greater results (sales or not) than emailing like a robot.

[Tommy-G]

All I know is REPLY ALL is totally appropriate for ALL emails

[e90335e36m3]

Originally Posted by Tommy-G

All I know is REPLY ALL is totally appropriate for ALL emails

Especially when you're replying all to "stop replying all" or to "remove me from the recipients list".

[auburnf30x]

I didn't even know there was email etiquette. Makes me appreciate my job a bit more. I say the shit I need to say, and get on with it. Pretty sure I end all my emails with thank you or something like it. I don't give a damn if it 'makes me look weak'.

If I had to sit through that Zoom meeting (or any Zoom meeting), there's a high probability that they'd be getting a well formatted email from me afterwards telling them to fuck off.

Thank you!

[CTinline-six]

If you haven't started applying to other jobs yet, I would.

[erickonphoenix]

The corporatocracy is real, we have to follow all that not only in emails but in any formal interactions with general employees. For instance I had to purge the use of "hey guys" in my introductions.

However all the BS will be worth it when I see those pension payments file into my bank account in 10 years.

[Tyga11]

Originally Posted by spazzyfry123

What industry are you in?

Retirement Wholesaler

[ZL9M2]

Am email coach? Whatever company that is I would bail ASAP. What other shit are they spending money on? Email etiquette - we all learned in 3rd grade. Be polite, be thankful, check your spelling and grammar.