Proper etiquette is always important in business settings, particularly in areas of communication. Email is a common and preferred form of inter-office correspondence between business associates, as well as between company-to-company communications. It is a very common instance in which an email is sent to the wrong person or business associate. This can cause many issues, such as inter-office misinterpretations, or failed business partnerships—especially when sensitive information is sent to the wrong person, or messages with ill-intentions (i.e. gossip) are sent. We have come up with a list of four tips to abide by before sending an email off that will help to ensure that your email is directing the correct information to the correct person. Avoid sending sensitive or intrusive information in an email with these quick tips:

• “Reply All”
  • If possible, remove this option from your sending preferences. This is a surefire way to reply to the wrong person via email, especially if this wrong person is the topic of conversation, and happens to be in the group of “all” of whom you are replying to. Another tip to remember (that would avoid the indiscretion of sending and ill-spoken email) would be to avoid gossiping via your email network altogether.

• Recalling your Emails
  • A few months ago, we posted an article detailing how you can recall an email. In certain cases, the email can be recalled and deleted, and in other cases it can be recalled and replaced. But beware, this email cannot be recalled once it read, and the recipient is sent notifications of an attempted recall.

• Leave the “To” Field Empty
  • Leave the “to” field on your email completely empty until after you have composed your email to your liking. This can avoid sending to the wrong person. This way, you are specifying exactly who you are sending the email to with full knowledge of what the email reads, and when it will be sent.

• Proofread!
  • This is the simplest form of email caution that will ensure you send your email to the correct person with the correct information. Proofreading will take only about a minute of your time, and can save you a lifetime of trouble. Just a simple glance over to perfect your email draft, as well as confirm your recipients will give you complete assurance that you’re sending the right email to the right people.