Business email etiquette in the global marketplace
By Fawn Fitter
E-mail has become a fundamental tool for global business. However, it can also lead to unexpected communication problems. Extra attention to e-mail etiquette can help your company avoid potential pitfalls in and out of the office.
In summary
| • | E-mail is an ideal tool to handle routine matters and bridge time zone differences. |
| • | Avoid e-mail use for sensitive topics, complex issues, and initial contacts with individuals. |
| • | Format your e-mail message so recipients readily understand what you want and how to respond. |
Tenets of the well-behaved message
 | E-mail has conditioned people to expect a rapid response, but if you rush to handle something complicated, you may leave out background material, omit important details, or phrase things in a confusing or even offensive way. |  | | Julie Freeman
International Association of Business Communicators
| |
|
You already know the basics of clear e-mail communication: State clearly whether you expect action or your message is simply for the recipient's information, copy only people who genuinely need to know, and remember to use a professional, appropriate tone. Doing business across countries or cultures requires you to keep other issues in mind as well, says Julie Freeman, president of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC). Based on her experiences with IABC members in 70 countries, Freeman offers this advice:
| • | Use simple, straightforward language. Colloquialisms and jargon can cause needless misunderstandings, even among people who think they speak the same language. For example, in American English, to "table" an issue means to set it aside until later. In British English, the same phrase means to discuss it immediately. |
| • | Be friendly, but be professional. Unless you know the recipient well, start your e-mail message with "Dear [Name]" or "Hello [Name]", and end it with a standard closing such as "Best regards" or "Sincerely." When in doubt, formal business style is always appropriate. |
| • | Limit business messages to business matters. Avoid references to politics, religion, local issues, celebrity gossip, and other potentially offensive or confusing topics. |
| • | Use e-mail for routine business and for questions with quick, simple answers, but not for something complex. "E-mail has conditioned people to expect a rapid response, but if you rush to handle something complicated, you may leave out background material, omit important details, or phrase things in a confusing or even offensive way," Freeman says. |
| • | When it comes to time differences, have patience. A message sent during the workday in Paris will arrive well before the start of office hours in Vancouver. You probably won't get your answer before you leave your desk that night. If you need a faster response, use the phone and leave a number where someone can reach you after hours. |
When e-mail might be dangerous
Situations that potentially involve conflict and strong emotions always deserve a phone call or a meeting, Freeman says. Tone of voice and nonverbal cues are important when you must address disciplinary measures, layoffs, bad news, apologies, and other sensitive topics.
Surprisingly, business email etiquette also falls short at the very start of business relationships, says Matthias Glowatz, MBS, a business lecturer at the University College of Dublin in Ireland. "E-mail is not ideal to create a relationship where one does not already exist because you don't know who you're talking to," explains Glowatz who researches online business communication. "People may contact you through your Web site, but if you choose to respond, your initial meetings should be by phone or in person."
From a customer service point of view, Glowatz says, it is better to begin a relationship with a call or a meeting to [identify] idle inquiries and to ensure you send potential customers and partners precisely the information they need. More important, your company cannot tell from a cold contact if a question is genuine and will lead to a business transaction. If your company receives e-mail asking for information not readily available on your Web site, Glowatz says, a quick phone call may save you from sending strategic details to your competitor.
Focus on clarity in your message
What makes an e-mail message effective in any language? Clarity. Help your e-mail messages convey the message you intend with a format that makes your points impossible to miss. Sally McGhee, founder of McGhee Productivity Solutions and author of Take Back Your Life! Using Microsoft Outlook to Get Organized and Stay Organized (Microsoft Press 2005), has created a useful model called the PASS system:
P — What is the purpose of the message, and does the purpose relate to an objective? State both clearly in the first two sentences. You can include background information later in the message.
A — What action is needed, who is responsible, and when must it be done? This information should immediately follow the purpose. If more than one person is receiving the message, indicate their names in bold with the relevant information for each person.
S — What supporting documentation does the recipient need? Provide all the information required to take the action you request (provide this information either as an attachment or in the body of the e-mail message).
S — Does the subject line effectively summarize the message? A reader should be able to anticipate what your e-mail message says before opening it. Write the subject line last so that it accurately reflects the content of your message.
Finally, if a message is especially urgent, call recipients to tell them it's on the way, and ask for their prompt attention—but save that for truly critical matters, Freeman warns. "Everyone is busy, and everyone is deluged with e-mail, so you cannot act as if every e-mail is equally important," Freeman says. "If you do that, people are less likely to respond when it really is important."
Fawn Fitter is a freelance writer in San Francisco who specializes in business and technology. She contributes regularly to the Microsoft Midsize Business Center.
