Hi, it’s me…Megan. The girl who blogs on this site, but was totally MIA last week. I mean you would think I fell off a cliff with that radio silence.
Remember me?
Oh thank goodness!
Last week was a complete whirlwind, a crazy busy but fun and exciting one at that. I celebrated my soon to be sister’s Bachelorette party in New York City Monday and Tuesday, executed a full on bridal runway show plus wedding planner private dinner Wednesday for work, attended Chicago’s annual networking reception Thursday and then traveled back to my hometown Friday to host a bridal shower Saturday. Oh and in between there, I caught the flu and got about 5 hours of sleep.
Don’t worry no falling off cliffs or missing person. Just a girl who may have overbooked herself a few too many times in one week.
But hey, I’m still here and ready to get back at it this week!I also was completely overjoyed and had a major “pinch me” moment last week.
I was incredibly honored to be featured on a site that played such a large role in my career and helped connect me with so many inspiring and amazingly talented women. 3 years ago this site was my bible, I read every career story, Chicago related article and all job advice/tips to get my foot in the door at a company of my dreams and seeing my own career featured on The Everygirl knowing that I used to be the one reading those stories with only dreams of one day being featured was such an incredible feeling. On top of that, the kind words that were said and many thoughtful e-mails that were sent were more than just icing on the cake. They meant the world to me and I can’t thank everyone enough!
With that being said, it only seemed fitting to share some of my top e-mail etiquette tips. I always say if there was one thing I wish I would have learned more in college, it would be e-mail etiquette. It’s like a resume, everyone has different rules and standards but after working in an industry where I send over 200 e-mails a day I’ve found a few things to be helpful that I wish I would have known from the start.
1.Do NOT use slang words. No matter how close you think you have become with the person, don’t treat your e-mail like a text to your best friend. Seeing “LOL” or “btw” in an e-mail does not come off very professional.
2. Personalize your e-mail. This one is key for reaching out and introducing yourself or applying for a job. Make sure to address the person you are e-mailing by name and cater the e-mail to their company or the subject you are discussing. E-mails that do not start off with the person’s name tend to get overlooked easily.
3. Reply to its entirety. When in an e-mail chain with a client or potential future employer, make sure to respond to each subject addressed in the e-mail. This will eliminate the continuous back and forth and help answer everything the other person is inquiring about in a timely manner.
4. Know your audience. Cater your writing according to your audience. If I’m e-mailing a client I’ve worked with numerous times and know personally, my e-mail may be a little more relaxed and express more personality as they know how I’m speaking and don’t need to give them a long formal breakdown of what I am asking for as I’ve worked with them before. Whereas, I’m I’m pitching to a new client my e-mail will be more of an outline of what I am asking for with a professional tone and descriptive details. Also, determine their brand. If you are emailing a larger corporation, keep it very professional. If it’s a trendy and creative boutique agency, they are more likely to connect on a personal level so show a little more personality in your e-mail. Or if the person is short and doesn’t seem like they have much time to respond to e-mails, keep it short and to the point on your end as well.
5. Gage the mood. This one can be tricky and one of the reasons people prefer face to face instead. But knowing the mood of an e-mail is key as it will help decipher how you should respond. If a client is not happy, be aware of that and cater your e-mail to meet their needs. If a client is overjoyed with your work, respond with the same excitement and appreciation of working with them.
6. Be aware of your punctuation. I’ll be 100% honest, I am terrible at this one. I hate how e-mails can come off very demanding and insincere, so I tend to over do the exclamations and smiley faces a little too much but any client who knows me, knows that I am always smiling so they accept my over usage of smiles:) But this is something to be aware of and don’t necessarily follow my lead, especially if you work in a more corporate environment or are a student reaching out to new companies. Try to cut back on the over usage of exclamations and smiley faces unless you feel it is appropriate or happens to really fit your personality and the receiver knows that.
Any e-mail tips you’ve learned to be helpful along the way? How do you manage to stay on top of your e-mails and juggle work/life?
One of the most important things that I’ve found (which kind of speaks to your #3) is to read the email in its entirety! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people skim my email and only reply to parts or the first few sentences. That being said, being concise is key! I think successful emails are short and sweet 🙂
I totally hear you there and then you have to follow up multiple times to get the answer you asked a few e-mails back. Agreed, short, sweet and to the point makes for the perfect e-mail. Thanks for sharing Sarah!
Great tips Megan. You have much to smile about. Keep those smiley faces coming!! ?????