Southern Charm Sunday: Tech Etiquette 101

This post has been brewing since my first Southern Charm Sunday. The comments regarding thank you notes really got me started thinking about etiquette dying out in this tech age. It doesn't have to be that way. We can embrace technology and keep our charm. That is the point behind Southern Charm Sundays- to keep it alive in the chaos we currently live in. So- I present to you Tech Etiquette 101! Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing etiquette tips for different areas of tech. We can still be charming, even in the tech age!

This week's lesson is about email. Some of these tips may be common sense (but I think the world is lacking a lot of it these days). However, some are things that I think we just let slip our minds. 

1. Make sure your email address is appropriate. myhoneyspookiebear@blahblahblah.com might be appropriate for your closest of friends - however, it may still gag them- but not everyone. I suggest using your name as your email address. It is much more professional and unless your name is Cuddle Bug, I'm pretty sure you won't gag anyone. I also have a separate email address for each blog as well as for my business. A Gmail account works just fine for this. I find that it helps me stay more organized and focused. 
2. When at all possible, respond to email within 24 hours of receiving it. I am guilty of not doing this. My inbox tends to get slightly out of control (I will share tips on handling this soon). If you have office hours, it is acceptable to respond to emails received during the weekend Monday morning. The same holds true for holidays. 
3. NEVER email delicate content that is best given in person. After all, we are charming- not cowards.
4. By all means, send thank you notes in email. I personally like to send a hand written thank you note, but I know that is not reality for a lot of people. If you find yourself wanting to send notes, but forgetting to, send an email. Even better, send an e-card. You can also find pretty graphics to insert into email. 
5. Even in email, be sure to use a person's correct title (IE: Sir, Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc) -it really can make a world of difference. 
6. Be sure to use salutations. I like to write an email in the same form as I would a letter. Use the signature function as a letterhead. 
7. Be sure to use correct spelling and grammar. 
8. Read your email out loud before sending to ensure that your tone is appropriate. 
9. Use standard fonts to ensure readability. 
10. Type unto others as you would have them type unto you!

I hope you enjoyed my tips. If you have anything to add, questions, or a suggestion for a future post, just leave it in the comments.

Thank you for reading and for your continued support- and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!