Business E-mail Forwarding Considerations

Things to consider when it comes to forwarding e-mails to business accounts on business time:

• Refrain from forwarding non-business related e-mails on business time using your business e-mail address.  Doing so reflects a lack of professionalism and consideration for your employer’s resources and other’s time.

• Same applies to using your personal account to forward non-business related e-mails to friends and family member’s business accounts.  Only forward non-business related e-mails to personal addresses.

• When forwarding a business related e-mail to other business contacts, be sure to down-edit the forward to included only the important and relevant text.  Remove headers and routing gobbly gook, indications of previous forwarding attempts, addresses, etc.

• When forwarding a business related e-mail to other business contacts, be sure to remove any visible addressees of those who are no longer involved in the conversation.  If you are forwarding to a bunch of business associates that do not know each other — list them int he BCc: field to protect their privacy.

• When forwarding a business related e-mail to other business contacts, put those you would like a reply from in the To: field and those who you are simply FYIing in the Cc: field.

• If you receive a forwarded business e-mail, if you are in the To: field a reply is being encouraged and expected.  If you are listed in the Cc: field, a reply is not necessary unless you have valuable informaiton to offer — and then you only reply to the Sender.

• When it comes to replying to forwarded e-mails, refrain from using “Reply to All.”  Chances are not “all” are interested in or need your comments — only reply to the Sender.

Some More Info for You:

1. Forwarding Business E-mails
2. What About Forwarding Jokes?
3. Business Email and Forwarding
4. 5 Rules for Forwarding E-mails
5. How to Nicely Ask to Stop Forwarding to Your Business E-mail