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Have you ever received an email not meant for you? Worse yet, have you sent one to the wrong person yourself? What about sending a message with an embarrassing typo or a word missing that makes you wish you had not sent your message?
It is usually the speed at which we chose (or need) to function that contributes to the absence of normal conversational courtesies and the presence of typos or other mistakes that are daily occurrences for too many of us in our email and text communications. Obvious solutions include to slow down and (most important) make sure we look at what we have written before we hit the send button.
Because we have moved to far greater informality in our communications, a few additional suggestions may be helpful in avoiding the embarrassment that our ever increasing speeds and shortcuts can cause. For example, many of us are forgetting to maintain in our emails and texting some of the courtesies that we take for granted in our telephone and in person conversations.
Here are a few suggestions that you can keep in mind:
- Use the recipient’s name in a salutation or, at least, somewhere in the message.
- State the subject, especially in the subject line of an email.
- In an email chain, if the subject changes, then change what is stated in the subject line.
- Use words such as “Please” and “Thanks.”
- And, NEVER send an email or text to vent your anger. All too often, I have seen that come back to haunt the sender.
Remember, emails can be used as evidence in litigation, and are often introduced as powerful evidence. That is one good reason to reread what you are about to send before you press the send button. I’ve said that twice here for good reason.
If you have any questions about this post, please contact me, Dan Brecher, or the Scarinci Hollenbeck attorney with whom you work.
No Aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
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Check Your Emails for Politeness
Author: Dan Brecher
Have you ever received an email not meant for you? Worse yet, have you sent one to the wrong person yourself? What about sending a message with an embarrassing typo or a word missing that makes you wish you had not sent your message?
It is usually the speed at which we chose (or need) to function that contributes to the absence of normal conversational courtesies and the presence of typos or other mistakes that are daily occurrences for too many of us in our email and text communications. Obvious solutions include to slow down and (most important) make sure we look at what we have written before we hit the send button.
Because we have moved to far greater informality in our communications, a few additional suggestions may be helpful in avoiding the embarrassment that our ever increasing speeds and shortcuts can cause. For example, many of us are forgetting to maintain in our emails and texting some of the courtesies that we take for granted in our telephone and in person conversations.
Here are a few suggestions that you can keep in mind:
- Use the recipient’s name in a salutation or, at least, somewhere in the message.
- State the subject, especially in the subject line of an email.
- In an email chain, if the subject changes, then change what is stated in the subject line.
- Use words such as “Please” and “Thanks.”
- And, NEVER send an email or text to vent your anger. All too often, I have seen that come back to haunt the sender.
Remember, emails can be used as evidence in litigation, and are often introduced as powerful evidence. That is one good reason to reread what you are about to send before you press the send button. I’ve said that twice here for good reason.
If you have any questions about this post, please contact me, Dan Brecher, or the Scarinci Hollenbeck attorney with whom you work.