Configure Your Email

Whether you are a seasoned professional or just starting your career, correctly configuring your email is crucial for establishing a strong professional presence and fostering successful relationships. Use a professional email display name and address and create a professional signature block.

configure your email display name

University students have the benefit of the university email, but some of the addresses are a combination of the student’s initials or other identification features. Regardless of your email address, configure your email so your name, not your email address, displays when you send and reply to emails. The chances of your emails being opened increase when the recipients recognize your name.

To set up your display name in the two most common email clients—Outlook and Gmail—visit these websites: Configuring Display Names for Outlook and Configuring Display Names for Gmail.

When you graduate from college, the company you work for will likely assign to you an email address associated with the company. Use that email address for only company business; do not use your company email for personal use. Set up a personal account and configure it so your name, not an indecipherable email address, appears. Align your personal email address with your brand—you’ll be glad you did.

create a professional signature block

The main purpose of a signature block is to reassure the recipient that you are human, not a bot. A professionally configured signature block establishes and reinforces your identity and the company you represent. University students should use the name of their college or university as part of their professional signature block, which serves as a digital business card.

The email signature block should not be cluttered but should include the following information:

• Sender Name
• Sender Title
• Organization Name
• Phone number, Email Address, Organization Website, LinkedIn Profile URL

You don’t need to be a design expert to create a professional email signature. Large organizations provide signature block templates that contain organization-approved logos and fonts.

Your personal email signature block is an extension of your personal brand, so take it seriously. These days, design applications like Canva or Piktochart offer hundreds of free templates you can use to configure a professional email signature block. Below are a few examples.

Signature Examples

Tip

For more tips on what to include on your email signature, read this Piktochart blog post on email signatures.

use email etiquette

As with any technology, usage etiquette changes over time. Over the past few decades, email etiquette has changed because of technological advancements, shifts in communication norms, and evolving business demands. In the early days of email, when it was a relatively new and rare form of communication, emails were formal and long, like traditional business memos or letters.

Unlike today’s emails, early email communication would have never included the emoticons or text abbreviations that are common in today’s emails—even business emails.

On the other hand, because technology was slower, the expectation of a quick response was much lower than it is now. With the advent of smartphones and constant connectivity, the expectation for prompt responses has increased, leading to a quicker turnaround in email communication.

However, as email became more prevalent and ingrained in daily communication, its etiquette has gradually adapted to suit the fast-paced, more informal nature of modern digital interactions.

Instead of throwing email etiquette conventions out the window, however, consider these general guidelines as you compose and send emails, even among friends and family.

use proper tone

Your voice inflection does not translate on text or in an email; therefore, avoid misinterpretation by using the proper tone. Be polite; remain professional, discreet, and judicious; and avoid using ALL CAPS, which indicates shouting.

In email, salutations (greetings) and closings (sign-offs) play a crucial role in setting the tone of your message and conveying professionalism and courtesy. While they might seem like minor details, greetings and closings are essential email etiquette elements. In most cases, include both a salutation and a closing to bookend the message and create a professional, courteous email.

When replying to an ongoing thread, you may adjust the salutation and closing based on the context.

For salutations, follow these guidelines:

Use the recipient's name

Whenever possible, address the recipient by name. This personal touch creates a friendly, respectful tone. If you do not know the recipient’s name, use a generic greeting like Hello or Hi. However, do not use To whom it may concern, which means you have not sufficiently analyzed your audience. Even if you are writing to an audience you do not know, you can use salutations like these:

• Dear Hiring Manager:
• Dear Admissions Committee:

Use appropriate titles

In formal or professional settings, use appropriate titles like Dr., Professor, or Chairperson. In today’s business climate, you should probably steer clear of the once-acceptable Dear Sir or Madam, which covered both genders and was considered a polite form of address. Today, the salutation of Sir or Madam could offend a recipient who does not identify with those titles.

You’ll be safe if you stick with Dear + Recipient’s First Name or with Dear + Recipient’s First Initial + Recipient’s Last Name.

Consider audience preference

However, if you know the recipient appreciates a gendered title, feel free to use one. This rule gets back to knowing and respecting your audience. If the email is more formal, use a colon after the salutation. If the email is to someone with whom you have a personal relationship, use a comma after the salutation.

For closings, follow these guidelines:

Match the tone

The sign-off should match the tone of the email. If it is friendly and casual, then the closing should reflect that. If it’s formal or business-related, then close with a more professional sign-off.

When you close a professional email, use sign-offs like these:

• Sincerely,
• Best regards,
• Kind regards,
• Yours truly,
• In less formal settings, use these:
• Thanks,
• Best,
• Regards,

Include your name and signature

Include a signature block, discussed in the configuration section of this appendix, in your initial emails and responses. Extended threads do not have to repeat your signature block.

be timely

In the digital instant messaging environment, some professionals have come to expect immediate email responses. You may have experienced the happy accident of an instant email response, but calibrate your expectations and help set expectations for your audience regarding the timeliness of your email response.

If you stopped working to respond every time you received an email, you would never get any work done. Consider time blocking and alerting your audience about when they can expect a response. Generally, respond within 24 hours unless you receive an email at the close of your business at the end of your workweek but prioritize how and when you respond. If you immediately respond to all emails, your audiences will come to expect immediate responses. Do not delay—ghosting is a real issue—but make sure your audience knows you will respond in a reasonable amount of time.

If you are going to be out of the office, set an autoresponder for out-of-office messages so your audience knows not to expect a response until a certain date.

Timely is a relative term. Make sure your audience knows when to expect a response and then follow through.

know who is on the thread

When you send an email, respect your recipients’ time and bandwidth by asking whether the person truly needs the email.

Do not use the TO line when you are sending to large groups of people. Use carbon copy (CC) and blind carbon copy (BCC) to manage information distribution and to respect your recipients’ time and bandwidth. Rarely if ever use the reply-all feature, and start new threads instead of replying to an old or tangential email thread.

Carbon copy and blind copy (CC and BCC)

Carbon copy (CC) is used to keep relevant parties and stakeholders informed, to ensure transparency, and to request input or feedback.

Blind carbon copy (BCC) is used to maintain recipient privacy, send mass emails, introduce contacts, and prevent reply-to-all overload.

Reply to all

Avoid replying to all, especially when you are angry and want to give someone "a piece of your mind." Venting on email is disrespectful, and you will probably regret what you say. Compose offline to sensitive emails. Walk away from the angry response, cool off, and reread your response. You will probably not ultimately send the response. Venting on email only damages your reputation.

If you are on a small group thread, especially one used to collaborate, feel free to reply to everyone on the thread.