BUSINESS EMAIL NETIQUETTE - Part 1

Guest Author: Beverly Zibrak, President of the Word Doc, Brookline, MA

Suffice it to say, email as a communication tool has replaced snail mail.  Think about it: When was the last time you received a handwritten or typed thank you note or invitation?  Emails are fast.  So answer an email quickly.

Just as there are guidelines for traditional communication, there are guidelines for business emails.

THE BASICS
1.   Always use proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
2.   Do not use CAPITAL LETTERS, except at the beginning of a sentence.
3.   Avoid sentence fragments.  Write in complete sentences.
4.   Even though it is faster, avoid abbreviations such as LOL, IMHO, etc.  Save them for personal emails.  Also avoid using emoticons.
5.   Do not write in long sentences.  Keep it short.
6.   Use active, not passive, voice.
7.   Use gender neutral nouns and pronouns.

THE CONTENT
8.   Be concise and get to the point.
9.   Anticipate: Answer all questions in the email you are writing or responding to and pre-empt further questions.
10.  If you often write the same type of business email, use templates for efficiency.
11.  Adopt a structure and layout that reflects your company, including the signature lines.
12.  Pay attention to formatting.  Your email conveys your corporate image.
13.  Make the Subject line relevant in order to get the reader's attention.

Next month: Business Email Netiquette Part 2 . . .

Beverly Zibrak is President of the Word Doc, a writing and editing services firm dedicated to helping small business with all their communication needs, including web content development, press releases and marketing communications, and blog posts.  You can reach Beverly at www.worddocusa.com or 617.584.9847.

WATCH OUT FOR TICKS! - Part 2

Continued from 8/1/12 post . . .

Here are some tips for protecting yourself from the increasing number of ticks and the diseases that they carry:

~ be careful about sitting on logs or leaning against trees; ticks often hide there
~ wear light-colored long sleeved shirts, socks, and pants so ticks are easier to spot
~ tuck pants in to socks or high-topped shoes/boots
~ when back indoors, check your whole body (and your pets) for ticks immediately and over the next few days and bathe thoroughly
~ wash and dry your outdoors clothes in very hot temperatures to kill any lingering ticks
~ use insect repellent (look for EPA certification on the container) and if you're spending time in heavily tick-infested locations, consider wearing clothing treated with insect repellent -- Insect Shield is one brand
Source: UC Berkeley Wellness Letter



THANK YOU FOR PATRONIZING AND REFERRING PEOPLE TO MY INDEPENDENT PRACTICE.  LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS DONATE TO CAUSES IN OUR COMMUNITY AT MORE THAN TWICE THE RATE OF CHAINS!