What is a nice way of telling someone to stop forwarding all those silly emails?

It’s Not the Forwarding; It’s the No Comments

I’ve got a bunch of posts addressing that question on my site and here on my Blog. Why? Because I get asked this question all the time! Three times this week. The point of contention with incessant forwarding is that it is done without a personal comment for the recipient.

When a comment is added about the reason for the forward, it can be more welcomed than when you don’t. Commenting when forwarding an email is often advised for several reasons:

Clarity: Adding a comment helps clarify why the email is being forwarded and what action the recipient needs to take. It provides context that might not be immediately obvious from the original email alone.
Relevance: A comment can highlight the specific part of the email that is relevant to the recipient, saving them time and helping them focus on the most critical information.
Personalization: Including a comment can make the message more personal and show that the sender has considered the recipient’s perspective. This can improve communication and rapport.
Action Items: If there are specific actions the recipient needs to take, a comment can outline these clearly, ensuring that the recipient understands their responsibilities or next steps.
Contextual Background: Providing background information or explaining the context can help the recipient understand the significance of the email and how it relates to their work or interests.
Professionalism: Adding a comment demonstrates professionalism and attention to detail, showing that the sender is mindful of effective communication practices.
Reducing Misunderstandings: Comments can prevent misunderstandings by explicitly stating the sender’s intentions and expectations, reducing the risk of confusion or misinterpretation.

Make Commenting on Forwards a Habit

By providing a brief comment when forwarding an email, the sender can ensure that their communication is clear, relevant, and actionable. This enhances overall efficiency and effectiveness in email exchanges and makes forwards less annoying.

Understanding the specific context and relationship between the sender and recipient can often provide more insight into why an email was forwarded without additional commentary. However, without a comment, the intent and meaning of the forward can be minimized.

Stop Forwarding Request Email Example

In my experience, no matter how nice you are, it won’t be nice enough. Often, the offender gets mad or feels their efforts are not appreciated. They think they are being thoughtful, and by asking them to stop, well… There just doesn’t seem to be a “nice” way. A truthful way, now that’s another answer.

To help onliners out, I have my article “5 Rules for Forwarding” to help educate forwarders on proper practices. Then there is also my article Are You a Habitual Email Forwarder? You can send folks to these articles (and let me be the bad guy).

All you have to do is point them “nicely” to my articles and say something to the effect:

I found this site NetManners.com and there is a bunch of good information that I didn’t know about Email Etiquette. I wasn’t aware of some of these guidelines myself — including about forwarding email. Since you forward a lot too, I thought you might be interested as well! HTH! 😉

Courtesy and Good Intentions

Onliners are always more open to new information or suggestions that they are doing something incorrectly when done with courtesy and good intentions. The best way to say “Stop Forwarding” is to assist others in learning what they do not yet know. You accomplish this by being a kind voice amongst all the noise they can count on to help them.

You do have one other option — just hit Delete.