In a recent bar journal article entitled EMail Like a Lawyer, Wayne Schiess, director of legal writing at the University of Texas School of Law, offers some practical advice on sending professional email messages.
Schiess cautions that every email message you send in a business setting says something about you and your professionalism and therefore can have an impact on your professional success. He suggests that everyone take a critical look at their email habits on a regular basis and make any necessary improvements.
His advice includes the following:
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think twice before sending a message - always be cautious when using email because messages are easy to forward and easy to include in a reply - in some situations, a real letter is better than an email message, and in other cases, a phone call may be a better option
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use the subject line effectively - use clear and specific subject lines in original messages, and be sure to update the subject lines of forwarded messages and ones that have multiple replies so that the recipient gets a better sense of the current subject
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use a salutation - professional etiquette requires that you use some form of salutation beyond just the "To" line in the email message
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write short messages - the longer the message, the more likely that you should be writing a letter or making a phone call - delete any extraneous text in forwards and replies
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use short paragraphs in block style - long paragraphs deter readers more in email than in other media, so write in short chunks presented in a readable format
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put the question or point up front - if you are asking a question, ask it first - if you are not asking a question but making a point, use the first sentences of the message to summarize your point
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explain attachments - always explain what you have attached, in what form, and why
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use a sign-off - your sign-off can be less formal than that used in a letter, but you ought to use one - professional email messages should never include extraneous information like quotes of the week
For more details, go to the full article.
