Business Email Etiquette Resistance

A portion of business onliners still resist the concept of Email Etiquette.  I get emails all the time from frustrated coworkers, bosses, community groups members all asking how they can get others they communicate with on the Email Etiquette bandwagon.  To that I simply reply to send them to this Blog and tell them to read an learn.

One email I received this past weekend insinuated that I am sitting here just coming up with “rules and regulations” that they have to follow as though “technology isn’t difficult enough.”  Well, technology is what it is — it isn’t going to change for you — so you had better embrace the information you need to thrive online.  And, I also mentioned, that’s why this Blog and NetManners.com exists — to help!

I prefer to think of Email Etiquette as skill building not “rules and regulations”.  In business, skill building is what clearly separates the pros from the wannabes.  With business email in particular, the perception value alone that you can control via your email activities should have every business onliner scrambling to acquire these new skills and make them habit.

We live in a culture that is so busy thinking “all about me” that we don’t stop to think of courtesies or considerations for others.  So what exactly is “etiquette”?

et‧i‧quette – noun

1. conventional requirements as to social behavior; proprieties of conduct as established in any class or community or for any occasion.
2. a prescribed or accepted code of usage in matters of ceremony, as at a court or in official or other formal observances.
3. the code of ethical behavior regarding professional practice or action among the members of a profession in their dealings with each other.

Whatever you call it, online etiquette, netiquette, email etiquette — or rules and regulations — it is simply understanding the technology in which you are participating and to apply that knowledge to use technology properly with consideration and courtesy to others.

Those who think Email Etiquette can be disregarded, ingnored or trivialized when doing business online are doing themselves a disservice while their competitors are thankful for their lack of understanding and efforts in this area.

Some More Info for You:

1. How To Suggest Business Email Etiquette?
2. Cultural Business Email Etiquette?
3. Business Email Away Message Etiquette
4. When Email Apologies are Moot
5. Using “…” at the End of Sentences in Email