E-Mail Etiquette

Sometimes even a :) isn't enough to soften the blow of a serious e-mail message-and is it really appropriate when conducting business?

In a recent study in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Micheal Morris, Ph.D., an associate professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Business School, compared the success rates of business negotiations made face to face, over the telephone or via e-mail. He found that e-mail negotiations are the most likely to break down because threats and teasing can strain the relationship when unaccompanied by a human voice or facial expressions.

E-mail works a lot better if you already know the person, Morris says, and while it's hard to build trust over e-mall, maintaining it isn't a problem once you have it. If no shared history exists, he suggests making an ice-breaking, preliminary phone call. Hearing each others' voices and maybe sharing a laugh or two creates a sense of being on the same wavelength and can make a substantial difference. Morris also suggests that exchanging a few personal e-mails before getting down to business, and punctuating messages with positive statements about the relationship-thanks for your flexibility, we've been making great progress together-can serve the same getting-to-know-you purpose in a pinch.

Finally, he warns: When a topic is sensitive or awkward, and people dread facing the person, they often use e-mail Instead. It's easier In the short term, but it's the worst time to use e-mail, Morris says. You need to be there, see the person's facial expression and maybe do some damage control.