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Tips for Effective Email

Email is a fast and easy method of communication to another person/s but requires planning, composing, and revising to be effective. An email is only effective if it is a subject that must be sent by email, to the right person/s, at the right time.

This effectiveness can be characterized by the following qualities:

• It is sent in a timely manner;
• Only to the people who actually need the information;
• The reader knows what they are expected to do;
• It has a clear, specific subject line;
• The first sentence identifies the purpose of the message; 
• The message body looks easy to read and sounds organized; and
• It has been revised to include the promised attachment.

Organizations often develop mailing lists to send emails to multiple members of the organization. This convenience is both positive and negative quality of mailing lists. Situations may occur where multiple people receive an email that was meant for only one person. Or a person uses Reply All for an email where not everybody must necessarily receive that response. Important and confidential information can be accidentally released of sent to the wrong people.

Sending emails should be a decision and not an automatic reflex. Timing influences the value and impact of the message. Sending an email at the last minute regarding a cancellation could lead to the receiver not reading the message in time. Or sending a message during a period of the day when the receiver is too busy to actually read the message leading it to become buried in other incoming emails.

While emails don’t actually transmit voice inflections and body language, there is still a tone that we read into the message. Proper sentence construction and use of Bold, Italics, Underlines, and symbols can affect the tone we perceive from the message. To understand the tone we are conveying in an email is to read our email aloud and determine the tone we are conveying in the construction of our email.

While emails are primarily made to send and receive messages, to convey information. However, it is a lot more complicated and email is not the correct channel for every message. There are questions we can ask to determine the purpose of the email we wish to send.

Purpose: To provide information quick and easily

Purpose: To have a record to share with others; To have an easily accessible file

Purpose: To eliminate problems with time zones, work hours, or availability

Purpose: To conserve resources

Purpose: To market and advertise

On the other hand, the following are wrong reasons to use email: Avoiding sensitive conversations; seeming busy; using statements against others; letting others know someone is being reprimanded; and sending private messages.

The right content is simply what the reader wants. The subject line is the most important content in an email. It must be Clear, Complete, and Focused. If the subject line is effective, the reader then looks at the first sentence. This must then tell the reader the purpose of the message. If there are multiple points that need to be addressed, the number of points should be clear in the subject of the first line. However, if these multiple points are unrelated, then a separate email is best sent for each unrelated point.

If the message a person is put on the CC list of an email, the message must contain why they are in the CC. The recipient of the email must be aware of why they are receiving the email. 

Email Etiquette

Respecting Confidentiality

            If the message you are sending is something you don’t want to be posted, read by anyone else, or contains private information for you or the company, then it shouldn’t be sent by email. As part of its security measure, the company can read or go through emails sent through the emailing system to ensure that no confidential information is sent to unauthorized parties. The system also is capable of keeping messages after they have been deleted from your mailbox as part of its archival system. This means that even though a confidential message has been deleted from your end, there is still the possibility that it is available through other means.

In summary then, it is important to ensure that the only information we are sending through emails are information that we are comfortable with the possibility of being read by other parties.

Copying and Bcc’ing Recipients

CC refers to Courtesy Copy, while BCC refers to Blind Courtesy Copy. Both have similar functions and differ only in the privacy and availability of the other recipients of the message. However, CC and BCC also serve different intentions. CC’ing a recipient indicates that the receiver is to be made aware of the email and its content but is not the main recipient. Because CC allows all other recipients to be aware of who else received the email, it can be a cause of concern for privacy.

On the other hand, BCC allows you to provide a copy of your email to multiple recipients without making the email list available to all. This can prevent awkward issues of replying to all as well as maintain the privacy of all those in the mailing list. However, care must be taken in sending emails through BCC as the confidentiality also makes it that those affected by the email are made unaware of who else received the message.

Forwarding Email

When forwarding email, it can easily be overlooked that we are forwarding the email for the nth time such that the people who receive the email can see that they are actually the nth receiver in a forwarding train. This can make them feel that the email was unnecessary and they shouldn’t have received it in the first place.

To avoid misunderstandings and problems in forwarding emails we have to perform a few checks. First, we have to determine if forwarding the email is appropriate, necessary, and clear. Second, forward only the portion that applies to your reader. Third, tell the reader why you are sending the message to them. Fourth, get permission from the original sender before forwarding a private message and inform them of why you are forwarding the message. 

Taking Conversations Offline

An important skill to email etiquette is knowing when to take a conversation offline and avoid the use of email in the first place. The following are common reasons to take a conversation offline:

• The message is long, complex, or additional discussion is necessary.
• The information is highly confidential.
• Immediate input is needed.
• The situation is emotionally charged or someone could misunderstand your tone.
• You sense that the email discussion is starting to deteriorate.

Including Attachments

Sending emails allow for the convenience of being able to place attachments to the message. However, these can come with their own problems such as: Forgetting to attach a file; Attaching the wrong file; Attaching a file the recipient can’t open; and Attaching large files. 

To avoid forgetting to attach a file, it is best to add the attachment before composing the message since the attachment is the entire point of the message. To avoid attaching the wrong file, open the attachment from the email to check if it is the correct file before sending the email. Clearly name your file to avoid confusion. To ensure that your recipient can open the attachment it may be best to use plain text and avoid special ways of formatting. Converting to PDF is equally useful as this file type is easily accessible to many. When attaching large files, its best to compress or zip the file to make it fit the email. On the other hand, if the information is available on a web page, you could send a link instead.

If you are the one receiving attachments and find them suspicious there are ways to avoid receiving malicious software placed in attachments. Checking with the sender ensures that they did send an attachment and that this was intended. Making sure your software is updated ensures that your computer is protected from malicious software. Disabling automatic downloads prevents you from unintentionally receiving files when you open an email. 

Understanding your Message’s Impact

 Knowing how your message affects your recipient goes a long way in ensuring the effectiveness of your message. We have to be conscious of the impact of our message based on what is said, how it is said, and who receives it. We can determine the impact of our message by asking a few questions. Is the message necessary? Unnecessary emails produce a negative impact while a message that saves time provides a positive impact. A series of emails can cause a negative impact when the reader has to go through multiple messages whereas having one short summary email can create a positive impact. Email standards and procedures ensures that everyone in the company is on the same page on the use of emails and avoids confusion and disorganization. A planned email provides a positive impact because it can answer the who, what, where, when, how, or why questions as necessary while a hastily crafted email can easily be noticed and provides a negative impact to the reader. 

5 Tips for General Email Etiquette

1. Respond to messages you receive.
   • At least acknowledge with a quick response to let the sender know that your received and read their email. This avoids situations where the sender assumes that you read their email or eases the senders mind knowing that you received their email.
2. Include the Reader’s name and Your Name
   • This adds a bit of personalization to the message and lets the reader feel important.
3. Set an out-of-office alert when necessary
   • This ensures that the sender is aware that you may not be able to immediately respond to their message and that there are alternative communication channels they can use if they feel their message is urgent.
4. Use “High Importance” flags sparingly.
5. Review all emails before responding.
   • Glance at all emails before responding to one to determine which ones are urgent and important as well as to make sure to avoid responding to emails whose issues have already been addressed a few emails later.

Writing Effective Email Messages

Crafting Subject Lines

The sender and the subject line is the first thing most people look at when reading emails. There are a few techniques to make sure that your email sends an effective message simply through the subject line.

First, make sure to include a complete a specific, complete subject line. For example:

Next, make sure the subject line is concise. Sometimes a message can fit in the subject line. If it does, make sure to put EOM signifying that there is no message found inside the email and it is all available in the subject line.

Crafting a subject line that is complete, specific, and concise ensures that your message will be considered important and will be read.

Understanding the Reader

The better you understand your reader, the more likely you are to send an effective email. To understand your reader, you will need to analyze your relationship with him or her, and the degree of professionalism that will be expected. Also, you'll need to consider the reaction you think your reader will have to your message, and even how often your reader looks at email. 

For example, an email to a member of your work team, will include company jargon, and that reader will certainly not expect formality. Or, a potential new client whose account you are trying to get. Perhaps you've met face to face once or maybe you've never met. Maybe you received that potential customer's name from a friend. That first email contact will establish his first impression of you and your business. It will need to sound and look professional, be easy to read, be correct, and have a clear positive tone.

On the other hand, you could be sending an email to the mass public. Understanding that reader is difficult because you will need to be general enough to appeal to a variety of demographics for that new email advertising campaign. Yet another concern helping you understand your reader is the reader's reaction to your message. Are you sending information that your reader will want to read, or is your message one that will cause your reader to react negatively? If the reader will be receptive to your message, then begin directly. On the other hand, if your message will cause a negative reaction, then a more indirect opening might be better.

An additional area to analyze to help you understand your reader, is his or her email habits. Although this may not be immediately apparent, you will be able to detect a pattern with ongoing communication. Is your reader one of those people who reads and responds to emails as soon as they're received, or one who schedules certain email time? Analyzing this may help you know when to send your messages and when to expect replies.

Using Direct Openings

Email is most often the channel selected for short direct messages. If the subject line identifies your message as providing necessary or positive information, that reader expects to receive that information immediately in the email. If the email opening does not give the information the reader wanted or expected, they may become frustrated and may not continue reading.

Was that message satisfying? What if the next message was the one used instead?

Regardless of the content of the message, a direct opening should have the following: State the purpose; and provide context for the message.

Crafting a Strong Message

There are steps we can take to ensure that a strong message is written in our email. 

1. Craft the Main Purpose. Make sure to determine the one topic and its sub points of your message.
2. Craft How the Message Will Look. Avoid using one large paragraph in crafting your message as this might seem overwhelming to the reader. If your message contains sub points, use numbers or bullet points to allow the reader to easily identify them.
3. Craft The Tone. Personalize the message such that you are determining how the reader will react to the words and tone of your message. Write the message with the reader in mind.

Personalizing Your Message

The only way you can personalize your email message is to understand your audience. But understanding that audience is the tricky part. Personalizing your message to someone with whom you have a strong working relationship is usually easy. But trying to personalize messages to an individual you don't know or barely know, or to an audience composed of a variety of readers poses challenges. These questions need to be analyzed to begin the personalization process. Who is that primary audience and what is my relationship with that audience? One person, and is that person known or unknown? Or a mass group? Is the reader internal, a co-worker for example, or external, such as a client or customer? Also ask, what's the primary purpose of this message? Do I want just to give information and will my reader have a positive or negative reaction to the message's content? Or, am I trying to persuade my reader to take action?

Look at this situation that needs to be personalized to three different groups. Your company is adding a new line of environmentally friendly products. Beginning the first of the year. Let's analyze the three groups based on the relevant questions. The first group is the company employees.

The second audience, company shareholders. This message's purpose is to announce the new product line, to reassure the shareholders that the company is making smart business decisions to ensure continued profits. The tone of the language is more formal.

Now, the third group we need to personalize for are those on our LISTSERV. The members of this group may have a variety of opinions on protecting the environment and about the possible added cost of these products. The primary purposes are to announce the new product, to get the readers interested in buying the product, and to show our company is doing its part to protect the environment. These readers will want to know the price increase, and we want to encourage sales and feedback.

Always analyze each reader, that reader's needs and wants, and your message's purpose.

Checking Your Message

When we click on the send button, our email is gone and can no longer be changed. Before clicking send its best to check your message and read for the following:

• Omitted Words
• Wrong Words
• Grammar and Punctuation
• Typos
• Correct Information

For Example:

You will need submit two ideas for Monday’s meeting. -> You will need to submit two ideas for Monday’s meeting.

Please submit you three ideas for Monday’s meeting. -> Please submit your three ideas for Monday’s meeting.

Connie and Seth ate the only security personnel on duty at 8AM. -> Connie and Seth are the only security personnel on duty at 8AM.