skills
@Work Wisdom
DO proofread. “I think some of the biggest mistakes people make with email are sending too soon without proofreading, reading aloud for tone, or attaching something [they meant to attach],” Post says.
DO hold the x’s and o’s. Even over email, hugs and kisses aren’t for near strangers. Until she’s worked with someone consistently, Post prefers to stay
formal, beginning emails with a “Dear” and signing off with a simple “Best.” “You really want to start off on the right foot and make a good impression so they read the rest of the email,” she says.
DON’T say thanks. It’s unlikely advice from an etiquette expert, but Post says an end-ofemail “thank you” is overused. “Take a minute to think about it: Sometimes ‘thank you’ as a
sign-off can sound very assumptive. If you’ve asked a question or favor of someone and then you automatically say ‘thank you’ before they’ve agreed to it, it can jump the gun a little bit.” Instead, she recommends closing with “thanks for any help you can offer.”
DO use! appropriate! punctuation! Post has noticed a generational difference with how many exclamation points people use in an email … rising as their age lowers.
“In more formal situations, you’re going to want to keep them to a minimum or keep them out,” she says. “But a lot of people will see a period at the end of something and take it as a very serious tone. It does not convey the warmth and gratitude that most thank-yous with an exclamation point do.” Her tip: Before clicking send, read aloud to help you figure out what punctuation is going to be best. Oh, and at work: Hold the emojis.
BH&G INSIDER Become an Insider member for exclusive content, including our favorite etiquette advice from the BH&G archives. BHG.com/Etiquette 32
| December 2021
error repair Foot-in-mouth syndrome happens to all of us. Swann’s three-step process for recovering? Acknowledge the gaffe, apologize, and move on. “Be very quick with it,” Swann says. “When you keep talking about [the error] and apologizing over and over, your mistake has life.” She moves on by changing the subject. “If you ask someone if they’re pregnant and they say, ‘No, I just gained some weight recently,’ you can say, ‘Oh my goodness, I apologize. I should never have asked that. How silly of me! Anyway, what are your plans for the summer?’” Sill likes to lighten the mood. “Making a little bit of fun of yourself goes a long way.” ■
