How rude!QA I recently e-mailed my staff [a few company] policy changes, but seemed to have ticked them off in the process. What did I do wrong? --M.G. Smith Mendocino, California
Mendocino is a census-designated place (CDP) in Mendocino County, California, United States. The population was 824 at the 2000 census. Well, could it be because all your sentences LOOKED LIKE THIS? In Internet-speak, this is called shouting. You can be forgiven for doing it the first time, but if you persist, you'll continue to have an angry staff. In business (as well as personal) interactions, sending messages in capital letters is a definite no-no. Sure you want to get your point across, but there's a better way to do it. Here are a few things to keep in mind when sending e-mail. * Get to the point. Be brief but not rude. * Keep it simple. Forgo the excessive use of special functions In mathematics, special functions are particular functions such as the trigonometric functions that have useful or attractive properties, and which occur in different applications often enough to warrant a name and attention of their own. such as underline underline an animal's ventral profile; the shape of the belly when viewed from the side, e.g. pendulous, pot-belly, tucked up, gaunt. , boldface See boldface font. , or color type. * Watch your language. Don't send anything in an e-mail that you would have trouble saying. * Watch the tone. In e-mail, it is often difficult for the recipient to determine whether your "friendly reminder" is, in fact, an insult. * Mind your manners. "Please" and "thank you" work just as well online as off. * Finally, keep reading BE In the coming months, we'll show you how to make the best use of e-mail--without alienating al·ien·ate tr.v. al·ien·at·ed, al·ien·at·ing, al·ien·ates 1. To cause to become unfriendly or hostile; estrange: alienate a friend; alienate potential supporters by taking extreme positions. your colleagues and clients. For more tips, check out Easy Email by Joan Tunstall (Allen & Unwin, $6.95). Mail your technology-related concerns to Cyberwise at BLACK ENTERPRISE, 130 Fifth Ave., New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , NY 10011, or send an e-mail to donaldsons@blackenterprise.com. |
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