10 Common Email Mistakes

How many emails do you send and receive every day? Most of us would answer, "Too many!"

According to a study by McKinsey® & Company, people spend 28 percent of their working week reading and replying to emails. [1] However, despite the risk of becoming overloaded with messages, it remains one of the most powerful and efficient communication tools.

Using email is a quick and easy way to stay connected with your team members, customers and stakeholders, particularly those who are geographically dispersed. However, it can be very easy to send ineffective emails, create the wrong impression, or even damage your reputation with sloppy practices.

In this article, we look at 10 common mistakes that people make when they send emails, and explore how to avoid these.

Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Tone

You might be tempted to send emails quickly when you're in a rush, without thinking carefully about your audience, what you're saying, or how your message might come across. So, it's important to consider who you're addressing and what action you want them to take before you start writing.

A good rule to follow is to address people in an email as you would in person. For example, making a quick request or providing instructions without a "hello" or "thank you" will likely come across as rude, regardless of how busy you are. And if you would address your recipient by their first name in person, you don't need to use formal titles like Mr, Miss, Madam, or Sir in the email.

But take care not to be too informal either. Signing off with a kiss ("x") and even the use of slang or emojis will look unprofessional in many cases, and could damage your working relationships or reputation. You should also avoid typing in capitals, which implies anger or aggression.

Although your email's subject matter may be clear to you, its recipient might not share your knowledge or understanding. So, avoid using abbreviations, jargon or "text speak," and consider whether your message is appropriate before you hit the send button. Will your reader understand what you're saying? And is your information clearly structured and presented?

Mistake 2: Hitting "Reply All"

How often have you been copied into an email exchange that's not relevant to you, and doesn't require you to take any action? Chances are, it happens regularly, and you know how frustrating it can be.

"Reply all" is a useful tool for keeping multiple team members in the loop, or for documenting group decisions, but many people use it without considering who should actually receive their email.

Receiving numerous irrelevant emails throughout the day can be distracting and time consuming; and becoming known as the person who always hits "reply all" can potentially damage your reputation, as it can appear thoughtless, rushed and unprofessional. It might also suggest that you're not confident making decisions without input from senior managers.

So, consider whether you should "reply all" or respond only to the email's sender.

Mistake 3: Sending Unnecessary Emails

Email is still the favorite communication method for 73 percent of people. [2] However, it isn't the best medium to use in every situation. Depending on the size and purpose of your message, there might be an alternative, more appropriate method you should opt for instead.

If you just want to send a quick, informal "thank you" for example, instant messaging like Slack or Microsoft Teams would be a more suitable channel. It's more personal and immediate, and won't needlessly add to their inbox.

Conversely, if you're struggling to keep your message short, consider whether the subject matter is too complex. Would a face-to-face meeting or phone call make it clearer? Should you put your information in a procedure document instead, or give a demo in a video call?

Mistake 4: Forgetting Something?

How many times have you sent an email without attaching the relevant document? Perhaps you included a link that didn't work? Or even attached the wrong file?

These mistakes can often be fixed quickly with a follow-up email, but this adds to the large volume of messages that people receive, and it can appear unprofessional or forgetful. Consider attaching files as soon as your start drafting your message, and always check all of your links carefully. Finally, ensure any attachments are named suitably. If they have a random title, your contact may regard it with suspicion, and flag it as junk or malware.

Mistake 5: Emailing the Wrong Person

Most of us, 58 percent in fact, have sent an email to the wrong person. [3]

This can be embarrassing, but it also means that your email might not reach its intended recipient unless someone flags up your mistake. More seriously, you risk distributing sensitive information to the wrong people, damaging your organization's reputation, and even losing customers. So, always pause to review your email before you send it.

When you reply to or forward an email within a thread, make sure that all the messages contained within it are appropriate for the recipient. Is there any sensitive information? Are there any personal comments or remarks?

Mistake 6: Being Too Emotional

One of the main benefits of email is that you don't need to respond immediately. It's particularly important to delay your response when you're stressed, angry or upset – if you send a message in the heat of the moment, you can't get it back (although some email clients do have a limited "undo" or "retrieve" option). Avoid sending any messages when you feel this way. Wait until you've calmed down and can think clearly and rationally.

Mistake 7: Not Using "Delay Send"

It can be satisfying to send an email as soon as you finish writing it, so that it's "off your desk." However, many email clients now provide a useful "delay" or "scheduled send" function.

For example, imagine that you're taking advantage of flexible working to catch up on your emails late at night or during the weekend. Your clients and stakeholders are likely not working, so you don't want to disturb them, or imply that they should take action outside of working hours. Alternatively, imagine that you're working on a project, and you want to provide your team members with information at a specific point.

Scheduling an email to arrive at a certain time and date allows you to manage your time and organize your workload, without interrupting or hindering others.

Mistake 8: Vague or Missing Subject Line

It might seem like a minor detail, but a subject line is arguably the most important part of your email. It's the first thing your reader will see, so it should be informative and punchy.

A clear subject line lets people know what to expect before they open your email, and makes organizing their inbox much easier. If your subject line is vague, or worse – missing, then your recipient will be less inclined to take action. It may even go unread or be misinterpreted as spam.

A good subject line should consist of only a few keywords, relevant to your message. What is your email about? Is there an important deadline date? Do you want people to take action before a certain time? Is it urgent or non-urgent? Tailor your subject line accordingly, so your recipient can give the email the right level of priority and attention.

Mistake 9: Not Reviewing

Proofing your emails is one of the most important things you can do. It only takes a few moments, and it helps you to pick up poor grammar, spelling mistakes and punctuation errors, which look unprofessional and sloppy. Our article, Writing Skills, has more on how to check your work for mistakes.

It's also important to ensure that you properly read and understand emails that are sent to you, including all messages in threads or conversations. Here, someone may have already dealt with your question or concern, and raising it again will likely result in duplication, frustration and confusion.

Finally, don't add the recipient to your email until the last moment. This ensures that you can't accidentally send your message before you've finished writing it, have added your attachment, checked the email, and spotted any errors.

Mistake 10: Poor Cybersecurity

Email accounts can be an easy target for cybercriminals, and 88 percent of data breaches are caused by human error, [4] but it's easy to practice good cybersecurity in your emails.

When sending emails to a large number of recipients, take care not to confuse "cc" (carbon copy) and "bcc" (blind carbon copy). If you "cc" people into an email with private or sensitive information meant only for the individuals, you could cause a serious data breach.

And when sending sensitive information, like bank details, it's safest to do this in separate exchanges. Email the information in a password-protected document if you can, and send the password using a different platform. This will keep the data safe from hackers, should they manage to get into your email system.