How Do You Start and End a Business Email?

[adamhenry]

Sometimes I receive emails with legal disclaimers at the end. "This email is intended for the person or entity to which it was addressed", blah, blah. What are the practical reasons for this? It's kind of off-putting.

I worked for a company that required that legalese at the end due to a rec from a lawyer.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sometimes I receive emails with legal disclaimers at the end. "This email is intended for the person or entity to which it was addressed", blah, blah. What are the practical reasons for this? It's kind of off-putting.

To protect themselves from any possible negative consequence should the email - inadvertently or otherwise - end up in the hands of someone for whom it was not intended. In other words, they are covering themselves.

It is usual to find this kind of disclaimer in business, or Government or international circles. Indeed, it has become almost a default setting on formal emails.

I worked for a company that required that legalese at the end due to a rec from a lawyer.

Exactly. They are covering, or protecting themselves from future (unfortunate) consequences if something goes wrong.

 

[mobilehaathi]

To protect themselves from any possible negative consequence should the email - inadvertently or otherwise - end up in the hands of someone for whom it was not intended. In other words, they are covering themselves.

It is usual to find this kind of disclaimer in business, or Government or international circles. Indeed, it has become almost a default setting on formal emails.

I'm not convinced such disclaimers hold much water...

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I'm not convinced such disclaimers hold much water...

No, I'm not either, but they (businesses, corporate entities, government bodies, etc) think they are covered.

It is a bit like those idiotic plastic signs which you find in shops with cheap tiles on wet days, the ones which announce 'Wet floor is slippy' or some such. That won't exonerate them if someone stumbles or loses their balance on the slippery tiles.

 

[mobilehaathi]

No, I'm not either, but they (businesses, corporate entities, government bodies, etc) think they are covered.

And, importantly, it gives them something to point at and argue about.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

And, importantly, it gives them something to point at and argue about.

No, to be honest, I think that they think (usually on legal advice) that they have their backsides covered should something inadvertent happen (such as a slightly embarrassing - i.e. frank, or unusually honest, or revealing - email end up in the wrong hands).

It is an entirely predictable - if depressing - manifestation of the dodge the bullet of responsibility mindset. Thus, it becomes a clear case not of 'I own what I said, even if it is a little embarrassing that my real thoughts have seeped out', but 'this email should never have gone to that person, and my disclaimer clears me of all responsibility for my comments' so that, with luck, this becomes the story not the unfortunate content of an email which expresses itself candidly, if, perhaps, undiplomatically.

 

[turtle777]

I'm not convinced such disclaimers hold much water...

They don't. It's a waste of bits and bytes.

But lawyers make money by advising to use snake oil, so they push it.

-t

 

[mobilehaathi]

No, to be honest, I think that they think (usually on legal advice) that they have their backsides covered should something inadvertent happen (such as a slightly embarrassing - i.e. frank, or unusually honest, or revealing - email end up in the wrong hands).

It is an entirely predictable - if depressing - manifestation of the dodge the bullet of responsibility mindset. Thus, it becomes a clear case not of 'I own what I said, even if it is a little embarrassing that my real thoughts have seeped out', but 'this email should never have gone to that person, and my disclaimer clears me of all responsibility for my comments' so that, with luck, this becomes the story not the unfortunate content of an email which expresses itself candidly, if, perhaps, undiplomatically.

Sure everyone loves to shift or dodge responsibility in our current culture. However, if they don't hold water, they know that, and something irresponsible (on their part) occurs, then something like this (as flimsy as it may be) serves to discourage action to force responsibility. It results in a waste of resources and/or the irresponsible party successfully avoiding their responsibility.

Actually, I think we're saying the same thing.

 

[rhett7660]

Firstly, it largely depends on the context of the work world you are entering.

If the email is written on behalf of an international organisation, or a Government Department, for example, you can expect the tone and content to be quite formal.

The creative and artistic worlds (and the tech world, come to think of it) tend to be a lot more informal. When I was an academic, the academic world also tended to be relatively informal in how they expressed themselves in emails.

Then, there is the matter of who you are addressing in your email; are they superiors, subordinates, colleagues, or others outside the organisation. Are they friends?

Personally, I would always err slightly on the side of a more formal tone rather than less formal tone in emails. I think it looks better, and - again, speaking personally, - I loathe the assumption of close friendship in breezy and overfamiliar emails. Words matter.

In my case, I will always start a professional email with 'Dear Mr/Ms/Dr/Mrs' followed by the person's surname - and, depending on the context, (which is whether or not I actually know the person or have had personal dealings with them, and whether they are at my grade or above or below that), I may use their first name after the salutation 'Dear'.

As for closing, I am a fan of the old 'Kind regards'; if the person has been helpful, I will thank them warmly - nobody minds receiving a proper acknowledgement of what they have done, even if it is their job.

Re informal emails, even in a professional setting, I will send those, but only if I have come to know the person reasonably well; this kind of informality tends to be confined to people who would be at your own grade, or under that.

Hope this helps somewhat.

This to the "T"....... Unless I know the person on a personal level, all of my emails are formal.

Sometimes I receive emails with legal disclaimers at the end. "This email is intended for the person or entity to which it was addressed", blah, blah. What are the practical reasons for this? It's kind of off-putting.

You mean like this:

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication with its contents may contain confidential and/or legally privileged information. It is solely for the use of the intended recipient(s). Unauthorized interception, review, use or disclosure is prohibited and may violate applicable laws including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the communication.

 

[FieldingMellish]

Be sure to include the government-mandated "Please do not print this email; be kind to the environment" statement.