Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the email trail. Leaving lots of email goodies behind him on his way, but when did he show up? "The Easter bunny first arrived in America in the 1700s with German immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania and transported their tradition of an egg-laying hare called “Osterhase” or “Oschter Haws,”’ according to History.com. For centuries, children have looked forward to finding these colorful, hollow, hidden eggs — filled with candies, sometimes even spare change.
Sometimes Peter even leaves a basket full of other goodies too! You can read more history of Easter here.
He leaves more than just candy and change though. He teaches us what to avoid when learning how to write a professional email. Writing in general can be hard, and learning how to write for each platform can be confusing. How you write for social media follows a different set of rules compared to how to write a professional email. Furthermore, writing a personal email follows yet another separate set of rules from work email.
Peter Cottontail is a great reminder of the things we shouldn’t do when sending emails.
The Easter bunny comes bearing lots of treats, ranging from marshmallow Peeps to those Cadbury cream eggs that everyone loves so much. However, in professional emails, make sure to leave your “candy” at home. It is important to know your audience. Keep your email appropriate for your work. You may send lots of XOXO’s in your emails at home — but definitely leave them out of your work emails.
You are bound to build relationships in the workplace. When working 40 (or more) hour work weeks, it is easy to become close with many of the employees in your office. These relationships are key to a successful work environment, but keep your emails separate. It is equally important to know where to draw the line. Keep life events and personal events in separate emails. Your work emails should cover work topics only.
This fluffy tailed wonder comes during the night while everyone is asleep. Don’t be the reason your employees or contacts are putting their phones on “do not disturb.” If you have something important to say, wait till the morning.
Draft your email or Ving the night before. Writing everything down as you think of great ideas is important, especially for those working in a creative field. Don’t be afraid to write your emails late at night, just don’t hit send. Your email or Ving will have a higher open rate if you send it in the morning versus late at night. This also gives you a chance to review your message with a fresh set of eyes.
The Easter bunny brings fun treats, colorful eggs, and delicious candies for children around the globe. Your email travels just as far, but has no age filter. Keep your emails professional across the board. If you are sending a quick message or a company update your professionalism should be the same for the twenty, thirty, forty and fifty year-olds in your office. No matter someones age — they should get the same respect in all of your email communication.
You need to learn this one last thing from the Easter bunny on how to write professional emails — do not be sneaky. The easter bunny is sneaky. Have you seen the Easter bunny? Do you know who he is? Make sure that you leave a signature on your emails so that your recipient knows who you are and how to reach you. If this is the first time you have communicated with someone, it is important to leave your company title and contact information, so they know exactly who you are and how to get back to you.
Easter is just around the corner. Our fluffy friend is a great reminder about how to write professional emails! Share these tips in your office and soon everyone will be hopping down the write email trail. Happy Easter!
