From the Indeed article: $20$ tips for professional email etiquette

Match the tip with the definition.

Column A

$1.$

Identify the goal of your email:

Identify the goal of your email

$2.$

Consider your audience:

Consider your audience

$3.$

Keep it concise:

Keep it concise

$4.$

Proofread your email before sending:

Proofread your email before sending

$5.$

Remember to follow up:

Remember to follow up

$6.$

Include a brief, concise subject line:

Include a brief, concise subject line

$7.$

Use a professional and appropriate greeting:

Use a professional and appropriate greeting

$8.$

Include a brief, concise introduction:

Include a brief, concise introduction

$9.$

Use sentence case in your email:

Use sentence case in your email

$10.$

Keep your tone professional:

Keep your tone professional

$11.$

Use positive language:

Use positive language

$12.$

Stay away from emojis:

Stay away from emojis

$13.$

Perfect your email signature:

Perfect your email signature

$14.$

Use standard fonts and formatting:

Use standard fonts and formatting

$15.$

Email from a professional address:

Email from a professional address

$16.$

Double$-$check any attachments:

Double$-$check any attachments

$17.$

Be cautious with "Reply All":

Be cautious with "Reply All"

$18.$

Think before forwarding:

Think before forwarding

$19.$

Use Bcc appropriately:

Use Bcc appropriately

$20.$

Start new email threads for new topics:

Start new email threads for new topics

Column B

Column B

a$.$A professional or work email is not the place to recount your weekend adventures. Stick to the goal of your email and use direct, positive language

b$.$After using a professional and appropriate greeting, it is good practice to include a brief introduction. This gives the reader a general idea of why you are sending the email.

c$.$Be sure to double$-$check any attachments you've included with an email. It is a good idea to let the recipient know in the body of your email that you have attached a file, and it is courteous to compress or zip the attachment to take up less storage space. If a document is too large, include a link to a secure cloud storage file where the recipient can access the information.

d$.$The tone of your email depends on your audience. Be sure to customize your email to reflect the recipient and consider how they will read it$.$

e$.$Bcc stands for blind carbon copy. Any email recipients specified in the Bcc field do not appear in the header or to the recipients in the To or Cc fields. Using Bcc is good etiquette if you want to protect someone's email address from being exposed to others. For example, if you email a group of subcontractors about a change in policy or procedure, it is appropriate to Bcc everyone on the list.

f$.$Be sure to follow professional sentence structure by capitalizing the beginning of each sentence and proper nouns. Avoid using all caps, as this is generally interpreted as yelling within written communication.

g$.$The expected follow$-$up time to respond to an email is typically $24$ to $48$ hours. If you have forgotten to respond to an email, be sure to include a short apology and a brief explanation before continuing with your response.

h$.$Proper spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential when sending written correspondence. After you finish writing an email, read it out loud to ensure there are no errors before you press send. This increases the likelihood of catching any mistakes that your eyes may have skimmed over.

i$.$When preparing to send an email, begin by identifying the purpose of your message. Is it to book a meeting or follow up on a previous discussion? Being clear with your intention ensures that the message stays direct and concise.

j$.$Be intentional about maintaining a positive tone throughout your emails. Because written communication doesn't allow for the subtleties of body language and voice inflection, using positive language is the best way to ensure your message reads as friendly and confident. For example, instead of using words such as "problem" or "trouble," consider using words like "opportunity" or "challenge.

k$.$Having a clear and well$-$formatted email signature leaves a lasting impression. Your signature should include your full name, job title, company website, and phone number. A template will usually be provided by your company. Having clear contact information is essential, particularly if you are searching for a job or working for yourself. Check your email signature on different devices to see how it looks to your recipients and is easy to read.

l$.$When communicating through writing, it can be easy to misunderstand emotion and humour. Be sure to keep the tone of your email professional and to the point. Avoid using negativity, sarcasm, or adjectives that could be misinterpreted as overly emotional. Similarly, be cautious of using humour that may be misconstrued.

m$.$It is best to refrain from using emojis in professional emails. Unless you've had a prior email conversation with your recipient