Your e-mail is as much a part of your professional image as the clothes you wear, the letters you write (assuming you still do), the greeting on your voice mail, and the handshake you offer. If you want to impress on every front and build positive relationships, pay attention to your e-mail and steer clear of these top ten e-mail mistakes:

1. OMITTING THE SUBJECT LINE.

We are way past the time when we didn't realize the significance of the subject line. It makes no sense to send a message that reads "no subject" and seems to be about nothing. Given the huge volume of e-mail that each person receives, the subject header is essential if you want your message read any time soon. The subject line has become the hook.

2. NOT MAKING YOUR SUBJECT LINE MEANINGFUL.

Your header should be pertinent to your message, not just "Hi" or "Hello." The recipient is going to decide the order in which he reads e-mail based on who sent it and what it is about. Your e-mail will have lots of competition.

3. NOT PERSONALIZING YOUR MESSAGE TO THE RECIPIENT.

E-mail is informal but it still needs a greeting. Begin with "Dear Mr. Crouse," "Dear Jim," "Hello Jim," or just "Jim." Failure to put in the person's name can make you and your e-mail seem cold.

4.  NOT ACCOUNTING FOR TONE.

When you communicate with another person face to face, 93% of the message is non-verbal. E-mail has no body language. The reader cannot see your face or hear your tone of voice so choose your words carefully and thoughtfully. Put yourself in the other person's place and think how your words may come across in Cyberspace.

5.  FORGETTING TO CHECK FOR SPELLING AND GRAMMAR.

In the early days of e-mail, someone created the notion that this form of communication did not have to be letter perfect. Wrong. It does. It is a representation of you. If you don't check to be sure e-mail is correct, people will question the caliber of other work you do. Use proper capitalization and punctuation, and always check your spelling.

6. WRITING THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVEL.

E-mail is meant to be brief. Keep your message short. Use only a few paragraphs and a few sentences per paragraph.

7. FORWARDING E-MAIL WITHOUT PERMISSION.

Most everyone is guilty of this one, but think about it. If the message were sent to you and only you, why would you take responsibility for passing it on? Too often confidential information has gone global because of someone's lack of judgment. Unless you are asked or request permission, do not forward anything that was sent just to you.

8. THINKING THAT NO ONE ELSE WILL EVER SEE YOUR E-MAIL.

Once it has left your mailbox, you have no idea where your e-mail will end up. Don't use the Internet to send anything that you couldn't stand to see on a billboard on your way to work the next day. Use other means to communicate personal or sensitive information.

9.  LEAVING OFF YOUR SIGNATURE.

Always close with your name, even though it is included at the top of the e-mail, and add contact information such as your phone, fax and street address. The recipient may want to call to talk further or send you documents that cannot be e-mailed. Creating a formal signature block with all that data is the most professional approach.

10. COMPLETING THE "TO" LINE FIRST.