We’ve all heard of the email glitches that can happen. There’s the horror story of replies going to the “unintended.” If you’re like me, you’ve written “see attached” numerous times when there is no  attachment.

To help you get through the email snafu’s, follow these eight (plus a bonus) easy tips:

1. The email you send is a reflection of you and your business. Make sure to spell check, use correct grammar and punctuation.
2. Be creative with the subject, but make sure it pertains to the content they are about to read. Don’t use a fake subject because you think they will open it faster – it will only cause frustration.
3. When drafting your content, do not over embellish or use lots of colors or cutesy graphics. Everyone uses different email programs so they may not be able to even see it. Don’t spend a lot of time “coloring” it up.
4. Get to the point. Be brief and don’t ramble. People hate to read a lot of garble – they want to get to the important part of why you are communicating with them so they can respond.
5. Your tone is important. Using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS is viewed as YELLING.
6. If the email is time sensitive, include that in your email. No one wants to miss an opportunity because they didn’t know they should respond in a certain timeframe.
7. Double check to make sure you have attached any documents that you “attached.” Too often we are in a hurry to hit the “send” button and we forget to include the important document.
8. Lastly, create an email signature so that they know all the ways they can communicate with you. It’s a good idea to have your mailing address, telephone and fax numbers, website, tagline and even your social media profiles (if you use those for business) in the signature.

BONUS:  Create your email before you put in the recipient. That way, you can make sure you’ve reviewed it, proofread it and attached any pertinent documents before “accidentally” hitting send.