Email remains one of the main tools of professional communication. Although it may seem simple and is widely accepted today as a basic skill, it is often used ineffectively - without clear context, structure, or attention to detail, and without much consideration for the person on the other side.
The following rules outline good practices for email communication - originally written back in 2005 and now updated to reflect modern technologies - serving as a reference for anyone who wishes to maintain a professional culture of correspondence in the workplace.
For official correspondence, every employee should use only their corporate email address, provided by the organization. The use of personal email accounts for business purposes is not recommended. Personal emails are for personal matters only, and vice versa - the use of business email for private communication, social coordination, or non-work content is not allowed.
When replying to a received email, always use “Reply All” if the original message included several recipients who need to stay informed about the ongoing discussion.
When forwarding an email, always include a short introductory note to the recipient, explaining the reason for forwarding, any relevant background, and what action is expected from them.
When sending messages outside the organization, it is recommended to include the direct supervisor and other related colleagues in copy (CC). The same applies when replying or forwarding externally.
Mandatory (!). The subject line must contain a short and clear description of the email content for quick orientation by the recipient. It should be written in Bulgarian or English, depending on the language of communication. Avoid one-word subjects unless intentionally used for emphasis.
Examples: “Request for offer - steel pipes”, “Transport services quotation”, “Documents for contract review”.
Every email should start with a greeting appropriate to the context - “Dear Mr./Ms ...”, "Dear All", “Hello”, “Greetings”, etc.
Follow with a short introduction or a description of any attached files to help the recipient understand the purpose - “Please find attached…”, “We are sending the materials for ...”, etc.
Each email must end with a polite closing such as “Best Regards”, “Regards”, “Looking forward to ...”, “Sincerely”, or “Kind regards”, followed by the sender’s name - in full or shortened form, depending on familiarity and the level of formality. The closing is mandatory regardless of whether an automatic signature follows.
Emails should be written either in Bulgarian (Cyrillic) or English. Avoid writing Bulgarian text with Latin letters unless technically required or contextually justified.
When including images, it is best to attach them as files rather than embedding them directly in the message body - unless this is intentional and fits the context. Always observe limits for attachment size and count.
When pasting external objects (tables, copied text, etc.) into the message, check formatting - font, color, and alignment - to ensure a consistent and readable layout, and remove unnecessary inherited spacing or width parameters.
The email signature is a predefined text block automatically appended to every message. It should be configured once in the email client or user profile. The signature is recommended to be in English if communication with international partners is regular or occasional.
-- Employee Name, Title Position Company Phone Additional phone (if any)* Fax* Mobile phone* Website --
Adding a second phone number (direct line) and/or mobile is optional, according to internal company policy. All other details - name, position, company, phone, and website - are required.
While adding images or logos in the signature may look visually appealing, it is generally not recommended, as it increases message size, may be misinterpreted by certain email clients, and often results in “empty image boxes” within long reply or forward threads.
Attached files should normally not exceed 5–7 items, or exceptionally up to 10. The total size should be within 10–15 MB, and up to 20–25 MB only after confirming with the recipient. Many mailboxes have limits on message size or total storage, and exceeding them will cause delivery failure.
Golden rule: always double-check that all intended files are attached before sending!
If there are many files, combine them into a single archive (.zip) or send them in several parts (“Part 1”, “Part 2”). Cloud sharing links may also be used for large sets of files. Other archive types (.rar, .tar, etc.) should be avoided unless agreed upon with the recipient.
File format should match the purpose and use case of the recipient. Unless shared editing is needed, documents should preferably be converted to .pdf format to preserve layout and reduce size.
Common file formats: Text documents (.doc, .docx, .txt, .pdf), Data tables (.xls, .xlsx, .csv, .pdf), Presentations (.ppt, .pptx, .pdf), Images / graphics (.jpg, .jpeg, .png), Drawings (.dwg, .dxf, .pdf). Other files - preferably in .pdf unless all parties agree otherwise.
Before sending, it is good practice to use “Print Preview” in the relevant program to ensure the document will print correctly and completely, without requiring adjustment on the recipient’s side.
When sending images, unless original resolution is explicitly required, they should be resized to a reasonable quality and file size.
All outgoing documents should be formatted clearly and professionally. Official correspondence should use the company’s letterhead when applicable. External documents to clients, partners, or institutions should be in Bulgarian or English, depending on the recipient.
File names must be clear and descriptive. If sending a document in Bulgarian to someone who doesn’t speak the language, include a separate English translation or a short explanation in the email body.
Avoid using Cyrillic in file names whenever possible, as it can cause encoding issues between operating systems (Windows, Mac, Android, Linux). When transliterating, follow the official Bulgarian Law on Transliteration or international ISO 9 standards.
© 2005/2025 Nikola Vasilev