| Why
the Rules for Letters Don’t Apply to E-mails
We are all familiar
with letters. They are a traditional form of communications.
However, e-mails are recently new to the business scene and
require their own e-mail-centric form of writing and organizing.
Why? E-mails were
never designed to be a formal method of communication.
When e-mails came
into being in the early 90s, they were conceived to be a quick
form of communication. You ask. I answer. They were not designed
to replace formal letters but to provide a speedy response
to a quick off-the-cuff question. They have since become an
accepted way of communicating on all levels of the business
world. But the writing style has never been elevated to a
formal, pompous one.
Note, an informal
style does not equate to sloppy. Sloppy e-mails will not get
you anywhere. When I talk about an informal style, I mean
short sentences, short paragraphs, bulleted lists, active
voice sentences and personal pronouns. Abbreviations and acronyms
– as long as the reader understands them – are
permissible. Spelling and grammar errors are not.
The word “Dear”
is traditional in a letter. Not to use it, would be considered
discourteous. However, never use it in a North American e-mail.
It is considered outdated and overly formal – not reflective
of the U.S. and Canadian business cultures.
But an e-mail should
start with a greeting – just as if you were meeting
the person for the first time that day. You can be specific
and start with the person’s name – first name
only if you are friendly, both names if you want to be more
formal – or be more generic and start with “hello,”
“hi,” “good day,” or something similar.
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