o the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or inform

As a Virtual Assistant, I send and receive a large amount of e-mail on a daily basis. I can always tell when someone is either in a rush or simply doesn’t like to type. Their messages come through with misspelled words, with little regard for punctuation and grammar. What’s worse is when the tone or meaning of the message isn’t clear.

Here are some easy rules of thumb to keep in mind when you are sending and receiving e-mail, especially for business purposes:

1) Always include a subject. If you are replying to someone else’s message, it’s okay to use what is already in the subject line. If you are the one initiating the e-mail however, you should always include a subject, even if it’s one word or a simple phrase such as “May 1 Meeting” or “Follow-up from Meeting.”

2) Pay attention to punctuation and proper grammar. You may not be the fastest typist in the world, but adding those periods and question marks where they belong will clarify the message you are sending. And don’t forget about using capitalization where needed. Proper grammar goes a long way in helping your message recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say.

3) Never use all capital letters. “HOW ARE YOU?” makes it seem as if you are shouting at the person. It’s okay to use caps for things like “ABC Oil Company,” but using them for anything else is not a good idea.

4) Get to the point. Your message should be short and concise. The fewer words you use, the better. No one has time to read long, drawn-out messages.

5) Be careful with attachments. If you attach a huge file to an e-mail, the person on the receiving end may have a hard time opening it or get frustrated when the message takes a long time to download to their e-mail program. Pay attention to the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or informa

ess purposes:

1) Always include a subject. If you are replying to someone else’s message, it’s okay to use what is already in the subject line. If you are the one initiating the e-mail however, you should always include a subject, even if it’s one word or a simple phrase such as “May 1 Meeting” or “Follow-up from Meeting.”

2) Pay attention to punctuation and proper grammar. You may not be the fastest typist in the world, but adding those periods and question marks where they belong will clarify the message you are sending. And don’t forget about using capitalization where needed. Proper grammar goes a long way in helping your message recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say.

3) Never use all capital letters. “HOW ARE YOU?” makes it seem as if you are shouting at the person. It’s okay to use caps for things like “ABC Oil Company,” but using them for anything else is not a good idea.

4) Get to the point. Your message should be short and concise. The fewer words you use, the better. No one has time to read long, drawn-out messages.

5) Be careful with attachments. If you attach a huge file to an e-mail, the person on the receiving end may have a hard time opening it or get frustrated when the message takes a long time to download to their e-mail program. Pay attention to the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or inform

dding those periods and question marks where they belong will clarify the message you are sending. And don’t forget about using capitalization where needed. Proper grammar goes a long way in helping your message recipient to understand exactly what you’re trying to say.

3) Never use all capital letters. “HOW ARE YOU?” makes it seem as if you are shouting at the person. It’s okay to use caps for things like “ABC Oil Company,” but using them for anything else is not a good idea.

4) Get to the point. Your message should be short and concise. The fewer words you use, the better. No one has time to read long, drawn-out messages.

5) Be careful with attachments. If you attach a huge file to an e-mail, the person on the receiving end may have a hard time opening it or get frustrated when the message takes a long time to download to their e-mail program. Pay attention to the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or inform

for anything else is not a good idea.

4) Get to the point. Your message should be short and concise. The fewer words you use, the better. No one has time to read long, drawn-out messages.

5) Be careful with attachments. If you attach a huge file to an e-mail, the person on the receiving end may have a hard time opening it or get frustrated when the message takes a long time to download to their e-mail program. Pay attention to the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or inform

o the size of the documents you are attaching, and scale them down if necessary.

6) Use plain text in messages. Sure, HTML messages may look pretty, but everyone can relate much better to plain text, no matter which e-mail program they are using.

7) Whenever possible, reply below the message you receive. When you are replying to someone’s question in an e-mail you received, scroll down to the question they are asking or information they are inquiring about, and post your reply there. For example:

Original e-mail: “James, what is the name of that restaurant you took your client to last week?” Reply: “The Bedford Village Inn”

is much easier to read than:

Reply: “The Bedford Village Inn” Original e-mail: “James, what is the name of that restaurant you took your client to last week?”

8) Check your spelling. Remember that the spell-check feature doesn’t always work in this case, so scan your message visually before sending it.

Keeping these tips in mind when you are both sending and receiving e-mail will help your online conversations run a lot more smoothly. You’ll also be more productive and save time in the long run. Happy e-mailing!