““Sending The Right Sending The Right Messages About Messages About

E-mail”E-mail”

Danielle WilderDanielle Wilder

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IntroductionIntroduction E-mail is a standard method of E-mail is a standard method of

communication in most offices.communication in most offices. The article is an excerpt about The article is an excerpt about

e-mail style and etiquette e-mail style and etiquette from a similar commentary from a similar commentary reporting the results of a reporting the results of a survey of 300 e-mail users in survey of 300 e-mail users in U.S. companies.U.S. companies.

The survey results indicated The survey results indicated that most companies offered that most companies offered little employee training for little employee training for using e-mail.using e-mail.

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IntroductionIntroduction

The following tips will help The following tips will help you use e-mail more you use e-mail more

effectively…effectively…

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Remember the ReceiverRemember the Receiver

What does my receiver know?What does my receiver know? What does my receiver need to know?What does my receiver need to know? What does my receiver want to know?What does my receiver want to know? What will my receiver think, say, or do What will my receiver think, say, or do

in response to this message?in response to this message? Does my receiver have special needs I Does my receiver have special needs I

should consider?should consider?

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Remember The ReceiverRemember The Receiver

Consider carefully who needs to Consider carefully who needs to receive your messages:receive your messages:

E-mail allows you to send E-mail allows you to send messages to everyone in your messages to everyone in your

organization. But should you?organization. But should you?

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Remember The ReceiverRemember The Receiver

When e-mail boxes become clogged When e-mail boxes become clogged with unnecessary messages, with unnecessary messages, communication is impeded.communication is impeded.

Establish distribution guidelines to Establish distribution guidelines to avoid information overload.avoid information overload.

You need to share information with You need to share information with only those people who will help solve only those people who will help solve a problem or who can make a a problem or who can make a decisiondecision..

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Remember The ReceiverRemember The Receiver

If you respond to a message that has If you respond to a message that has been distributed to a group, think been distributed to a group, think carefully about whether you need to carefully about whether you need to reply only to the sender of the message reply only to the sender of the message or the entire group.or the entire group.

Automatically, and unnecessarily Automatically, and unnecessarily replying to all recipients of a message replying to all recipients of a message bogs down the system, clutters people's bogs down the system, clutters people's mail boxes, and wastes everyone’s time.mail boxes, and wastes everyone’s time.

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To E-mail or Not to E-To E-mail or Not to E-mail?mail?

In some instances employees should In some instances employees should not use e-mail at all to not use e-mail at all to communicate.communicate.

Using e-mail might have negative Using e-mail might have negative consequences. For example, a consequences. For example, a private message may become public private message may become public if it is sent to the wrong person or if it is sent to the wrong person or people.people.

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Express YourselfExpress Yourself Non-verbal communication accounts for 93 Non-verbal communication accounts for 93

percent of an effective message.percent of an effective message. To compensate, e-mail users sometimes use To compensate, e-mail users sometimes use

abbreviations and “emotions”, which are a abbreviations and “emotions”, which are a series of keyed characters used to indicate series of keyed characters used to indicate emotion, such as pleasure emotion, such as pleasure or sadness or sadness ..

If you are going to use e-mail shorthand, i.e. If you are going to use e-mail shorthand, i.e. “LOL”, define the abbreviation the first time “LOL”, define the abbreviation the first time you use it.you use it.

Avoid e-mail slang for external and Avoid e-mail slang for external and international communications.international communications.

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Strive for SuccinctnessStrive for Succinctness

Some e-mail experts compare Some e-mail experts compare the first screen display of an the first screen display of an e-mail message with the first e-mail message with the first few seconds of a face-to-face few seconds of a face-to-face conversation.conversation.

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Strive for SuccinctnessStrive for Succinctness

Consider the following suggestions for Consider the following suggestions for capturing your reader’s interest quickly:capturing your reader’s interest quickly:

Compose subject lines carefully.Compose subject lines carefully. In the subject line concisely indicate the In the subject line concisely indicate the

content of message.content of message. For example, instead of giving a general For example, instead of giving a general

description --- “E-mail Training”, be description --- “E-mail Training”, be specific “E-mail Training, November 21, specific “E-mail Training, November 21, Training Room 3a.”Training Room 3a.”

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Strive for SuccinctnessStrive for Succinctness

Don’t dilute your own message.Don’t dilute your own message. Stick to one topic when you send an Stick to one topic when you send an

e-mail message.e-mail message. Use the “get- SET” technique:Use the “get- SET” technique:

SState your purposetate your purpose

EExpand it with pertinent detailsxpand it with pertinent details

TTie the message up by summarizing ie the message up by summarizing or asking for action.or asking for action.

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Strive for SuccinctnessStrive for Succinctness

Use graphics judiciously.Use graphics judiciously. Bullets and lists can attract Bullets and lists can attract

attention, but use them attention, but use them sparingly.sparingly.

Do not type messages entirely Do not type messages entirely in capital letters. Many users in capital letters. Many users of e-mail think of writing in of e-mail think of writing in caps and “flaming” or caps and “flaming” or SHOUTING.SHOUTING.

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Strive for SuccinctnessStrive for Succinctness

Write carefully---your Write carefully---your grammar spelling and grammar spelling and punctuation will affect others’ punctuation will affect others’ perception of you.perception of you.

Proofread---reread all Proofread---reread all messages before you send messages before you send them.them.

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E-mail EtiquetteE-mail Etiquette

When sending an e-mail message:When sending an e-mail message:

Choose your recipients carefully, don’t Choose your recipients carefully, don’t inundate people with information they inundate people with information they don’t need.don’t need.

Get to the point. Limiting your message to Get to the point. Limiting your message to one screen of text is a good rule of thumb.one screen of text is a good rule of thumb.

Use e-mail to foster connections, not avoid Use e-mail to foster connections, not avoid face-to-face encounters.face-to-face encounters.

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E-mail EtiquetteE-mail Etiquette

When receiving e-mail messages:When receiving e-mail messages: Promptly forward messages Promptly forward messages

intended for other receivers.intended for other receivers. Promptly respond to messages.Promptly respond to messages. Don’t interrupt your work whenever Don’t interrupt your work whenever

a message arrives.a message arrives.

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Thank You!!!Thank You!!!