Often the need to send an e-mail to multiple recipients will arise. Often,
people will place all e-mail addresses in the “To:” field, with each separated
by commas, or they will use the “CC:” or Carbon-Copy field.
This can be a problem because your recipients will see all the e-mail
addresses and know you have written to many people. Even if that is not a
problem, you have also unwittingly publicized every e-mail in the group to
every member of the group you are e-mailing.
Using the “BCC:” (blind carbon-copy) field will keep all the addresses
hidden, with each recipient receiving an e-mail only addressed to them. Do some
research on your e-mail program if you need to send e-mails to multiple
recipients on a regular basis. Most programs will have easy ways to set up
group mailings professionally and to your liking.
Precise and to the Point
People use e-mail mainly for its quickness. Always
respond quickly to business e-mails, as the sender is usually looking for an
answer to something.
Also, try to avoid long, cumbersome sentences. Using
good grammar and spelling, be to the point, give it a good read and hit send.
Miscellaneous advice
If you are sending an e-mail with an attachment to a
company or person that you are no well acquainted with, check ahead of time
with them for their rules on accepting attachments. With more viruses on the
Internet than stars in the sky (or so it can seem) some companies will not
accept any attachments. If you give prior notice of your intent to send an
attachment, you will avoid the embarrassment of having it deleted without being
opened.
DO NOT WRITE IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS! This is the
Internet equivalent of shouting and just irritates people to no end. Plus, it’s
more difficult to read.
Don’t forward spam or chain letters. Trust us, they are
all hoaxes. Really. You will not receive enlightenment or cash if you send an
e-mail to 10 different people in 10 minutes.
Use a meaningful subject line. When sending e-mails,
give the recipient precise information on the subject line. This will help the recipient
understand the importance of the e-mail.
Bad Subject Line: “Business Stuff”
Good Subject Line: “Project XP Details and Information”
Don’t send e-mails with any questionable or offensive
language.
Avoid trying to use HTML or any other type of code in
your e-mails. All e-mail programs are different, and your attempt at making
your e-mail look even better could result in the recipient receiving a garbled
message full of code.
Don’t cut out the message thread. Occasionally, an
e-mail will get replied to back and forth until it is a morass of messages.
Leave these in. While cumbersome, they allow the recipient to quickly look back
on things that have been written on that subject.