Sometimes we send so many emails in a day we don’t even think about what we’re doing. Unlike when we’re writing on fancy Christmas greeting cards, we may not pay too much attention to what we type, which can lead to unnecessary errors and embarrassment. To avoid these and other mishaps, do these six things before sending an email:

1. Run spell check
After you’ve written an email, be sure to turn on spell check and look for those dreaded red squiggly lines. If you spot some, fix your mistake and move on.

2. Take a second look at the recipient’s name and company
You probably have a very busy day and it’s understandable that you may be a little scatterbrained. Perhaps you are meaning to contact Jeff in accounting but you accidentally selected a client named Jeff when the drop-down bar showed up on your email recipient list. Always stop for a moment to make sure you are sending the right email to the correct person. Also, double check that their company name and yours is correctly spelled. It can really stick with a client if you mess up their name or their business name.

3. Use your intuition
You don’t have to go to school for communications to be able to tell if a sentence doesn’t quiet make sense. Always read over your emails before sending them to sort out any mistakes in spelling and grammar, as well as to be sure the recipient can easily understand what you’re trying to get across. If you stop on one line of your email because you’re unsure if the meaning is clear, rewrite it. Your intuition was probably right, and it’s best to fix the issue before sending the email off.

4. Send it to a proofer
Are you emailing someone that is high up in a client’s company or contacting someone important for the first time? Consider showing a draft to someone with good writing habits (spelling, grammar, etc.) before sending it off to the recipient. They can make sure you are representing yourself and your company with the highest level of communications. A second set of eyes can really help in spotting sentences that could use a little cleanup or even locating words that sound right but don’t mean what you thought (bear and bare, for example). Ask a friendly co-worker to take a quick look at your email before you send it. This may save you from embarrassment and even losing business because of an error-ridden message. 

5. Are you sending an attachment?
Gmail has that handy reminder that pops up if you’ve mentioned “attachment” in the body of your email but didn’t remember to actually add a document. But not all email systems have this. Always check that you’ve added an attachment if you need to, and make sure that it is the right one. Make sure you’re sending the most recent version of the photo, video or word document to avoid creating confusion or sending something that isn’t correct or complete.

6. Did you add all the right emails?
How many times have we accidentally forgotten to copy someone in an email? This can get messy when you need to prove that you sent a particular client an email or even just want to loop someone in on what’s going on. Before sending a message, always take a moment to scan the recipients to ensure you’ve included everyone necessary. This will also eliminate accidentally sending the message to someone who shouldn’t be on the list. You’ll find this habit is quick and easy and can save you some real trouble later when forced to track down an email from weeks ago.