What better time to organize your inbox and to freshen up your email etiquette than while the New Year is still fresh? 

Personal preference dictates how you organize your inbox. However, following simple rules will keep your job running smoothly. Things like, making separate folders for each client to organize all correspondence is a must; As soon as you read and respond to an email, put it in the folder; Have separate personal and business email accounts to lessen confusion; Always delete unwanted email and empty the spam box regularly. These are all actionable items you can take with you going forward in the New Year!

However, when writing business emails, more than organization is on the line. All business people need to maintain professionalism, make efficient use of their time, and be aware of potential liability issues. Email is often the front line of communication for brokers with their clients, so get to know writing techniques and etiquette before pushing the send button.

We’ve determined that in order to keep a year-round, clean inbox, it’s necessary to make sure the emails you are writing are organized as well. Some best practices points to keep in mind are:

Get to the point.

Limit email communication to needed information.

Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Poor writing projects a bad image. Use spelling and grammar check always. Abbreviations and emotions can be interpreted as laziness in the business world.

When answering an email use the reply option.

Keeping the thread going helps to lessen confusion. Always check who will be receiving your email. Maybe all the people on the thread do not need or want to read your email.

Respond to emails quickly.

Your client took the time to write to you – do not take your time with a response!

Personalize all emails.

Address your clients by name and include content that is specific to them will make your clients feel they are important to you.

Add a disclaimer.

A disclaimer is a legal word for protecting yourself and the company you work for. Ask the management what to include in your disclaimer.

Ask permission before forwarding others work.

Forwarding an attachment that belongs to someone else is rude, but it also can infringe on copy-write laws.

Write a relevant subject line.

Identifying what you are emailing about helps the recipient organize their time and their inbox.  

Be discrete.

Never use email to gossip or to talk about confidential information.

Do not offend.

Everyone should know better than to use any offensive language and never use it in an email.

Always read the email before sending.

This mostly applies to those “highly important” emails you might be sending, but it is worth mentioning nonetheless. Read and reread is a good motto to follow. Walk away and read again. If needed you can change errors and tone in writing and make sure what you send out relays the message you want to send.

We can’t promise that you’ll get to the bottom of your inbox by following these rules – but they will most definitely help keep you organized and less stressed. That right there is a win in it of itself. Get a fresh start today! Happy cleaning!