Because it’s a format that is best at conveying hard facts-- not ideas that require discussion or subtle nuance-- it’s always important to consider whether there is anything in your email that could be misunderstood. Especially its tone. As we discuss the challenges inherent in writing email, we’ll return again and again to problems caused because of the difficulty in conveying tone in email. I’m not going to tackle that whole topic here, other than to say that it’s one of the most important things to consider as you’re writing. From my experience in teaching classes about email, I think that it’s something that most people are aware of. But I’m not sure that they’re actually giving it a lot of thought as they struggle to clear out their inboxes and fire off replies. One place where you will see people trying to make their tone clear is through the use of emoticons, those annoying, winking and smiling faces that pop up most often in the emails of young kids and elderly aunts. While I generally disapprove of them as too cutesy for business correspondence, they show that the writer is at least making an attempt to make their meaning clear. “Just kidding,” they signal when sarcasm or irony might not be apparent otherwise.
Sometimes the whole issue of tone can come down to how a sentence is punctuated. When there’s a problem, the exclamation point is often the offender. While a writer who uses emoticons is usually acknowledging the need to make their tone clear, the writer who uses an exclamation point often just muddies up theirs. Unfortunately we don’t all use or read exclamation points the same way, which can lead to misunderstandings. I’ve found that some people interpret any use of exclamation points in much the same way that they read ALL CAPS-- as though someone were angry or shouting at them-- while others simply use them to express enthusiasm. And then there are people like Elaine on Seinfeld, who is furious when her boyfriend writes down a message that her friend has had a baby but doesn’t use an exclamation point at all. In the Seinfeld universe, at least, a missing exclamation point is reason enough to end a relationship.
Just this week I found myself in an email exchange where I wasn’t sure what to make of an exclamation point. I was planning a presentation outside my office and corresponding with someone I barely knew but who I thought wanted to make a good impression on me. Though I was planning to take my computer with me, I was hoping that they might have a projector I could use so I wouldn’t have to lug one along myself. “Will there be a projector available in the training room?” I wrote after we had confirmed the date and time.
“Of course!” he replied. Just “Of course!” Now, there was probably nothing more to it than yes, they did have a projector available. The exclamation point was most likely intended to indicate enthusiasm, maybe even gratitude, that I was coming down to do training. Still, maybe it was just my mood, but I couldn’t help but wonder if he somehow felt that I was accusing him of not being prepared, or of being from one of those tiny firms that can’t afford a projector in the training room.
“OK, great,” I replied, not wanting to leave the conversation on that note. “See you next week!”
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