Are you making the same mistakes that have plagued business people for years? Here are an even dozen common e-mail errors and how to avoid them.

  1. You hit “send” before you mean to. Enter the recipient’s e-mail address after you are ready to send it out. This reduces the risk of sending an important e-mail to the wrong person, e-mailing an incomplete message or sending an inappropriate one.
  2. You forget to attach the attachment. Upload the file before you compose the e-mail message. This eliminates the need to send yet another e-mail with an apology. Similarly, make sure you send the correct attachment before you e-mail.
  3. You forward unnecessary e-mails. Whether you forward a joke or a heartfelt request for a charity, the workplace is usually not the proper forum for this. Restrict your personal e-mails to your personal time.
  4. You don’t review messages before replying to an old one. New developments may change your approach. This can lead to duplication, wasted time and miscommunications that can be hard to eradicate.
  5. You omit recipients by not replying to all. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, do not arbitrarily ignore the recipients of the initial message. And it can be even worse to hit “reply to all” unintentionally. Depending on the message, this can irreparably damage relationships.
  6. You “e-sign” every e-mail. This is not needed for multiple communications or when you are e-mailing a coworker sitting ten feet away. If your program automatically generates an e-signature for each new message, revise it when appropriate.
  7. You compose the message too quickly. Even if you are in a rush, try to write each e-mail carefully.  Review communications before you send them off into cyberspace.
  8. You give little thought to the subject line. E-mail inboxes become jammed, so posting an interesting subject line can put you on the top of the list. Otherwise, your message might get lost in the clutter.
  9. You e-mail when you are angry. Recall buttons are far from perfect. Sending an emotional e-mail is usually not a good idea. Better alternative: Save a draft of a sensitive e-mail, and then sleep on it.
  10. You assume too much knowledge. Even if you were talking to someone five minutes ago, remind them about the issue in the e-mail. Even the brightest people can forget the details.
  11. You ignore basic greetings. A simple “hi” or “hello” to the named person at the start can do the trick. Be brief, yet courteous.
  12. You violate company policy. Many companies have installed spam filters that monitor language. Do not say anything you would not say out loud.