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Read Time — 6 minutes
In person, most people are personable and likeable, and even tactful and diplomatic when necessary. Some, however, occasionally make a less-than-favorable impression through business email correspondences. Usually, this occurs because time is short and the day’s agenda is long. Sometimes it happens because we underestimate the potential for poor impressions or misunderstandings when facial expressions and vocal tones are removed from our communications.
Composing an email that comes across as you intend requires understanding the limitations of email and the social conventions of business communications. By applying the following rules, you can ensure that every message you send delivers the right impression:
Reading and answering email now accounts for 28% of the average worker’s week. McKinsey Global Institute
A University of Pennsylvania study reported that the majority of communication is transmitted non-verbally. They found that 70% of communication is body language, 23% is voice tone and inflection, and only 7% is spoken words! This means that we are extremely limited in how we can express ourselves in email interactions, and we must learn to overcome the limitations.
Following these rules may add a minute of time to your communications, but being perceived as you intend is worth that effort. Once you get in the habit, it won’t be long before these rules become second nature.