Tardy with Your Email Responses?

Are you tardy in your responses to incoming personal email? Do you respond to some right away and others later — if at all? If you answered yes to that last question, then you’ve confirmed what those on the other side assume. Some folks have your attention and priority more than others.

With personal email, lack of or very delayed responses could appear that you are ignoring the Sender. Part of Email Etiquette is in fact responding promptly. We all prioritize, but with email, understand that there is an expectation of a speedy reply and how long you take to respond is something that the other side will use to interpret where they fit in your schedule.

When it comes to family and friends, you really should make a point of keeping up and replying on a timely basis. If you find you are too busy or your schedule keeps you away from your computer, let those who email you frequently know what’s up. Make a point of establishing expectations! For example, if you check and respond to personal emails, say, every Thursday — let folks know that. Then they know what to expect and won’t assume you are ignoring them.

Try to find a system or schedule that works for you so that you can respond on a consistent and expected basis to avoid any unintentional perceptions with those who email you.

Why not check out my article on e-mail organization to see if it can help: 10 Email Organization Tips

You may also be interested in:

• E-mail Response Expectations are Officially Unrealistic!
• E-mail Responses Can Harm or Build Relationships
• Why Don’t People Reply to E-mails?
• Are You the E-mail Initiator?
• Meeting Friend’s Expectations