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Email Etiquette: Five Mobile Email Mistakes to Avoid

01 May 2012 By: Diane Gottsman

Business email isn’t always composed at your desk and sent out after a careful spell check.  Today, email can be sent via your smart phone, iPad or other device; messages are shorter, slang is more prevalent and emoticons have replaced proper punctuation. Needless to say, it may be time for a quick email etiquette refresher.

Below are five common “on the go” email mistakes to avoid:

  1. Omitting the greeting.  It’s easy to overlook including a greeting when responding to an email via your mobile device.  Don’t make this mistake – instead, take the time and effort to start your email off with a personal greeting, using the person’s name.
  2. Using texting abbreviations or slang.  Using your phone to text a friend is different than corresponding with a client or your boss. Don’t assume your boss will know that “LOL” means Laugh Out Loud, versus Lots of Love!  Keep your email to the point and professional.
  3. Failing to set-up your full email signature.  Refer to the “settings” on your mobile device to customize your email signature.  First and last name, title, business phone and website should all be included (in addition to the “sent from my iPhone/iPad” default if applicable).
  4. Responding via mobile device when the matter is not urgent.  Avoid the temptation to read and respond to all emails within minutes.  Balancing your work life, family life and personal time without checking email at every “ding” can be a challenge.  Don’t become another iPhone addict.
  5. Grammar and spelling mistakes.  Be sure to take the extra few minutes to read over your email before you hit “send.”  If spell check is not turned on, refer to the email settings on your mobile device to activate this feature.  Auto spell check can also be dangerous, especially if you aren’t taking that extra minute to re-read your response.  Typing “to” when you meant to type “do” can completely change the meaning of your message.  And that’s a best case auto-correct scenario!

Being tech-savvy with your mobile communication device is an important part of your personal brand.  Taking the extra few seconds (or even minutes) to show courtesy and professionalism when composing email “on-the-go” is a wise use of your time.

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Diane Gottsman

Diane Gottsman is a national etiquette expert and modern manners professional, sought out industry leader, television personality, accomplished speaker, Huffington Post blogger, author, and the owner of The Protocol School of Texas, a company specializing in executive leadership and etiquette training. Diane is routinely quoted in national and international media including The New York Times, The BBC, CNN, Bloomberg Business Week, Kiplinger, Huffington Post Canada, U.S. News and World Report, and Forbes. She is the resident etiquette expert for two popular morning talk shows, SA Living and Good Day Austin. She has been seen on The TODAY Show, HLN Headline News, WGN Chicago, and CBS Sunday Morning. Her clients range from university students to Fortune 500 companies and her workshops cover topics ranging from tattoos in the workplace to technology at the dinner table and the proper use of social media.