The business email has become the predominant form of communication in the business world. Like all forms of business communication, an email reflects your company's professionalism and the way you do business. Too often, when employees send email at work, they write in the same way they would for friends or family. That's why it's important to have business email guidelines in place.

Use These Content Guidelines

• Write an informative subject line. It should be brief but descriptive enough for the recipient to immediately know what the email is about. Personally, I like to include my company name in the subject line. If a person already does business with you, including your company name identifies your email as being from a trusted source.
• Include your main message in the first paragraph. That way, combined with a descriptive subject line, your recipient knows right away the content of the email.
• Use a salutation, just as you would in a letter. "Dear Mrs. Smith:" or "Dear Bob" or "Bob," depending on how familiar you are with the recipient. Don't include the heading used in a normal business letter (return address, recipient address and date).
• Your signature line should include your name, company name, phone number, fax number and web site address.

Follow These Mechanics for Professional Email

• Your email address should be professional, not silly. In particular, if you're a business owner, register an address that uses your company name.
• Use paragraphs, flush left, as you would in a business letter. Also choose a common font, such as Arial or Times New Roman. Choosing a font your recipient is most likely to have will ensure your email looks the same on his computer. Also, I prefer a font size of 11 pt. Some computers default to a 10 pt., but I try to be considerate of those who may have vision difficulties by setting my default to 11 pt. One last note about fonts. Don't use all caps. In email etiquette, this is considered yelling.
• A business email should be brief. It's usually best to restrict it to one topic. If the email is lengthy, the communication may be better handled with a phone call or meeting.
• Like a business letter, a business email should be written in a conversational tone. Contractions and pronouns are fine. Abbreviations like LOL or smilies and emoticons aren't (unless you also have a casual relationship with the recipient of your business email).
• Don't use a background on a business email, because it can make your text difficult to read. A background on an email you send can have a different appearance on the recipient's computer. It's safer to avoid them.
• Avoid including attachments, unless the recipient expects one. Often, a recipient is hesitant to open an unexpected attachment, for fear of it including a virus. If the recipient doesn't expect an attachment, it may be better to cut the text from the document you want to attach and paste it below your signature line.
• Before sending your email, proofread it. Grammar and punctuation do count. If your computer is set up to edit your emails in Microsoft Word, you can run spell check. Remember, any business communication, including business email, is a reflection on the care you take in running your business and serving your customers.
• Your company's response to customer emails should be within 24 hours of receipt, sooner if possible. Those who use email for correspondence expect a quick answer. If you don't respond swiftly, another company will.
• In some cases, when responding to an email, use "Reply" and include the original email. Only do this if it will help clarify your response to the original sender. It's safer to exclude the original email if you're forwarding to others. At the very least, delete any information that shouldn't be shared. I recall a local school system that had an internal exchange of emails concerning a problem student. The situation resulted in a new school policy being emailed to all parents of students at the school. Unfortunately, the email also included the original discussion of the problem student.
• Email is never really private. It can be forwarded and broadcast. Never include information you don't want others to read. Never include private customer information either.

Sample Business Email