Email Etiquette: 8 Things You Should ALWAYS Do Before Hitting ‘Send’

Communication is quick these days. Emails can be sent from your phone while you’re out running errands or in the middle of a project. For busy professionals trying to multi-task, this makes things easier, but sometimes comes at a cost: your professionalism.

Sending emails in a professional setting requires some basic etiquette—especially if you want to be taken seriously. But when you can send an email as quickly as you can send a text message, it can be tough to keep a professional manner at all times.

When sending a professional email, there are a few things you should ALWAYS do before hitting ‘send’.

There’s nothing more unprofessional than an email riddled with basic spelling mistakes and sentences that just don’t make sense. And if you’re communicating with a boss or client, the last thing you want is to come across as sloppy or confusing. Take a minute reread what you wrote (it helps to read it out loud) to make sure grammar, spelling and sentence structure all look good and make sense.

After you’ve proofread your email and are ready to send it, check one last time that you are sending it to the right person. It’s easy to start typing someone’s name in the ‘To’ line and click on the first name that pops up, only to later realize you clicked on the wrong name. Always double-check that the email is going to the intended recipient.

Your subject line should summarize what your email is about, while remaining short, sweet and to-the-point. Many people scan subject lines and determine if the email is something they can open later or if it’s something they need to respond to immediately. Therefore, you want to make sure you clearly state what your email is about without the recipient needing to open it to determine the real subject.

Just like proofreading for grammatical errors is important, you should also double-check that the recipient’s name is spelled correctly. Misspelling someone’s name shows that you aren’t paying attention to detail, which isn’t the message you want to send. Whether you’re emailing someone for the first time or 20th time, make sure both first and last names, as well as any professional titles, are without error.

Just like your parents taught you as a kid, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ are important in a professional email. If you’re asking for something, ask politely. If someone answers a question or sends you that document you asked for, follow up with a quick ‘thanks!’. Basic manners show you are a professional and an overall nice person.

If you find yourself typing paragraph upon paragraph to explain something, you might want to consider picking up the phone rather than sending an email. Sometimes, you can’t avoid sending a lengthy email that gives detailed instructions or has important information that can’t be cut down. But more often than not, those long emails can cause confusion and only result in more emails asking for explanations. If possible, keep your emails concise. Otherwise, a phone call might be your best bet.

How many times have you referenced a document in an email and then forgot to attach it? It happens to the best of us, and is an honest mistake. Save yourself and all recipients some time by double checking that all the correct documents are attached.

It’s easy to open an email and tell yourself I’ll respond later , only to get sidetracked and completely forget to reach out. This is particularly frustrating to the person waiting for a response, as they might be wondering if the email went to your spam folder, or if you read it and are intentionally ignoring them. If you open an email and can’t respond immediately, mark the message as ‘unread’ to remind yourself to come back to it at a later point.

No matter who you are emailing, always keep in mind that your emails are a reflection of you and your company. It’s important to remain professional and courteous in all forms of communication, especially those that can always be brought up later. If you can master the art of email etiquette, your coworkers, boss and customers will all hold you in higher regards.