Email is a vital part of business communication and cannot be ignored. Not only does email empower prompt response, but it also guarantees that businesses keep track of all active, ongoing, and pending communication. Email is additionally cost-effective and provides invaluable marketing opportunities. It is a professional email that keeps up brand alignment and not just a regular free email such as Gmail.
Statista’s records show that approximately 306.4 billion emails are said to have been sent and received daily in 2020. The numbers are directly correlated to the internet’s progressively accessible network. By 2025, the rates are expected to reach over 376.4 billion, and that includes the contribution of businesses that frequently use emails to market their services and reach out to customers.
As email takes up a lot of time, companies often overlook email etiquette for the sake of improving productivity. Emails may often be used by businesses, but plenty of professionals still don’t know how to utilize it appropriately. Their lack of a better email marketing strategy makes the sheer volume of messages in their inboxes and the need for carefully composed email templates overwhelms them.
As a result, they are prone to making embarrassing errors that can have serious professional results.
In this article, we’ll share what email etiquette is along with its significance and the best tips on how to compose emails that effectively increase your sales.
What Is Email Etiquette?
Email etiquette refers to the principles that guide the manners and behavior in professional email communication. It is a customary set of guidelines that includes appropriate language, convention, spelling, formality, and grammar when composing and answering emails. The proper email etiquette consists of professionalism that makes your communication more effective.
Email etiquette involves the necessary elements of a message, which are a clear subject line, greeting, closing, and a well-organized body or paragraphs. Your team should carefully look into the layout and words used in their messages to avoid errors and make sure they’re sending emails appropriately.
The main objective of these principles is intended to demonstrate mutual respect between you and your customers. It can be modified to suit your intended audience and purpose. For example, the emails you send to your family are likely different from what you send to your coworkers and professional partners.
Additionally, using appropriate email etiquette shows that you care about your relationship with your customers. It reflects your commitment to establishing professionalism and representing your brand to the rest of the world. Also, the guidelines for proper email etiquette can vary based on multiple factors, including the industry you are working in.
Why is email etiquette important?
Knowing the very definition of email etiquette helps you build stronger relationships with your clients and start more efficient conversations. It will also prevent your business from getting into trouble. Familiarizing your team with the correct email marketing guidelines boosts your tactfulness in communicating with your customers and succeeding in your chosen path for your business.
Poor email etiquette reflects gravely on businesses. The worst part is there is a high probability that your email misconducts are still recorded in your recipients’ inbox. You simply have no control over it. On the other hand, good email etiquette reflects well on your company, improves your public perception, and increases the chances of a prompt and comprehensive response. Once you learn how to present and conduct yourself through your email campaigns, you will learn that it is not that difficult to preserve such a positive professional demeanor.
There are certain rules when implementing email etiquette:
- Professionalism: By utilizing email language properly, large corporations and even small businesses seamlessly convey a professional image.
- Efficiency: Emails or messages that are clear are much more compelling than ineffectively worded emails.
- Protection from liability: Your team awareness will protect your company from costly lawsuits. They should be aware that being respectful in creating emails will avoid misunderstandings and prevent potential arguments.
Email etiquette is crucial because it represents your company especially when initiating contact with potential clients for the first time. Since face-to-face conversations are not necessary on emails, your message must be effectively engaging from the beginning. If your email content is filled with errors, it leaves a bad taste on your potential leads and keeps your team from streamlining and customising templates for future communications.
7 Email Etiquette Tips Businesses Should Follow
Your customer support team’s email etiquette plays a critical role in providing top-notch customer service. An excellently crafted customer support email can leave your customers satisfied and boost their loyalty. Meanwhile, inferiorly executed digital communication skills downgrade the value of your brand and damage your relationship with customers. That is, regardless of your product’s commendable reputation. Check out the best tips and practices of email etiquette when it comes to providing commendable customer support, marketing, and pitching sales.
- Use a professional email address.
Use the company email address. For precautionary and privacy reasons, avoid using your personal email in carrying out work-related messages.
It is a good practice that your email address always has your name so that the clients know exactly who you are. Never use email addresses that are not appropriate for use in the workplace, such as “honeygirl@” or “loverboy@”. Such email addresses do not look professional at all.
- Start with a professional greeting
Refrain from using informal greetings such as “Hey” and “Yo”. Keep it formal for the first set of emails, particularly when engaging a new customer or reaching out to a prospect. Then, gradually shift your tone into a more casual yet still respectful tone once your relationship with your existing recipients begin to strengthen and improve.
Some of the most common greetings that are safe to use include:
- Dear Ms./Mrs./Mr. <Recipient’s Name>,
- Hello <Name>,
- Hi <Name>,
- Don’t forget to introduce yourself
Don’t assume that your recipients already know you or have sufficient information about your brand. This is especially true if you contact somebody for the first time. For initial contacts, always start your email with a brief introduction. It could be a short line or two pieces of relevant information. If you know the potential customer but are not quite sure if they are familiar with your business, find a way to remind them about your last engagement. Better yet, give a brief summary or explanation of how you got their contact information.
- Keep it short
Lengthy emails are ideal because it gives more opportunities to be detailed with the purpose of your message. Unfortunately, an average email support staff receives over 100 emails a day, and so lengthy messages could be a waste of time. Also, long emails take more time to read, that’s why some customers delay reading them.
You should make your messages brief. Don’t be too wordy, make your point and ensure that your message is clear. You should clearly state your email’s purpose at the very beginning. Should your email need to cover different topics, consider condensing them to bullet points.
Take time to edit your email to ensure that the word is appropriate and delete all the unnecessary words. If you still think that your message is too long, consider a better channel than email.
- Respond promptly and offer assistance
The email has its reputation for answering customers for a long time. That is why many people prefer other communication channels. When a customer has a pending issue or problem, they need an answer immediately.
For example, if a customer wants to ask something about a product they want to purchase, some would opt to email your company. Delaying customer support responses will not help you to increase your sales. You wouldn’t want to leave a negative impression on your clients.
The longer customers are made to wait, the more agitated they become. You are doomed to lose potential customers if your competitors offer a faster response and can provide better customer support across multiple contact channels. Your team must be able to respond promptly, even in non-real-time messaging mediums like email. In case you need more time to provide a clear and concise reply, inform the recipient that you’ve received the email and that your team will get back to them as soon as possible.
- Be careful with confidential information.
Be extra careful when discussing confidential information. It is better to refrain from discussing sensitive customer information in emails. Confidential data consist of tax information, banking details, or a highly-sensitive business deal. If these types of conversations get into the wrong hands, it could lead to serious and legal repercussions.
Use end-to-end email encryption to protect any sensitive information that you may need to relay through your email messages. End-to-end encryption keeps your email well-protected so that even email servers and hackers will not be able to penetrate through the security measures used to conceal the information contained within your email.
- Avoid the “reply all” option
Do not click “reply all” unless necessary. Every recipient on the email chain needs to know why you are sending them an email. Replying to everyone in your email list may compromise the privacy of your intended recipients. It could also cause a confusion if there are recipients included in the email who are not initially or originally part of the conversation itself.
Sales email etiquette
It is important to be respectful and informative in your subject line, especially when composing emails for sales. If you want to encourage your customers to open your email, the subject line must be catchy and engaging. Avoid being too pushy or salesy. Instead, focus more on building a trustworthy relationship before you pitch your products.
Unlike emails to your colleagues or boss, start a sales email with more than just a simple “Dear John”. Don’t bounce straight into your sales offer. Instead, show them that you care about them as a person rather than just a lead.
Here’s a sample sales email template:
Subject line: New products for you
Hi John, I hope you are safe during these crazy times. I just found out that you are looking for a new product based on your last inquiry.
I’d like to suggest a new product that is (name of the product and its features). [Company name] are launching a new product that is far greater than the previous one.
Here’s a recent case study [link case study] of how effective and helpful this product is.
If you’d like to know more about the product, just let me know and we’ll arrange a [demo/phone call] at your preferred time.
Thank you for your time,
[Name, position]
Customer support email etiquette
An exceptional customer support email can turn even the most irate customer into a happy and satisfied one. That is why it is vital to give careful thought on how to write an email for your client. Doing so enables you to create an email that can increase customer retention.
Example:
Hi Jane,
I apologize for [describing their experience].
We always prioritize the needs of our customers. That is why it is important for us to respond quickly to our customers.
Having to [summarize their complaint] is unacceptable.
I’ve already passed this on to our team – we’ll make sure we get better as we grow and learn. We have offered a $5 discount for your next purchase and added free shipping to try to make up for the bad experience you had.
Thank you for your understanding and let me know if I can help in any way. Once again, I offer my sincerest apologies for the inconvenience.
[Name, position]
After you’ve emailed the client and resolved their issue, follow up a few days later just to confirm whether there are follow-up concerns or none.
Example:
Hi Jane,
Hope you’re doing great.
I wanted to follow-up with you regarding the issue you had the other day. Was it resolved? Do you still need any help?
I’d be happy to assist you with anything further.
Have a great day.
[Name, position]
Conclusion
For your business to succeed, you need to execute proper email etiquette. This will help you to increase customer loyalty as well as boost your revenue. Having proper email etiquette will improve your business reputation. That is why the need to implement proper email etiquette within your customer support, sales, and marketing teams is critical.
A well-crafted email is a vital part of a successful marketing strategy. Your team should be able to communicate respectfully in order to establish trust. They should learn how to work ethically and deal with people respectfully. Every email they send must embody the best version of your brand. Knowing it firsthand will help your team to adapt the most suitable measures and strategies in creating the best first impression. Ultimately, your team establishes a distinctive communication style that brings you closer to your target audience.
Be the company that stands out among your competitors!
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