We rely heavily on emails to communicate with colleagues, customers and suppliers. Some emails are way too long and string together paragraph after paragraph. Other emails are too brusque. Still others are way too formal or too informal, or there are even emails that can put a company in legal jeopardy.
Because we rely so heavily on email, every email we send must be well written and serve its intended purpose of sharing information. Effective emails don't just share information in a clear and concise way; they save both the reader and recipient time and effort.
Determine whether email is the right tool
There are important areas where an email is less suitable:
convey a message requiring personal feedback
having a discussion where there is still a lot of uncertainty about the subject
ask a question that needs an answer very quickly
conduct negotiations and/or reach consensus on a topic
give complicated instructions that require a lot of explanation
In many of these cases, the best way to get a message across or ask a question is through face-to-face communication. A team that is together, physical personal communication is always preferred. After all, a rich communication channel is used. The feedback on the message or question is immediate.
If it is not possible to communicate physically, we can now also use video calling, for example. The information is less rich than physical personal communication, but we can still reasonably read expressions via a video connection and hear intonation in the voice.
Of course we can also reach for the telephone. Over the telephone we hear each other's voices from which we can infer a few things. How does someone respond to your message with their voice? Did the recipient understand the message correctly?
With e-mail we lack verbal and non-verbal communication. A lot of information is lost. So only use e-mail if the message or question can be conveyed succinctly.
Still an email? keep it short
No one has the time to read an email of dozens of paragraphs. As early as four paragraphs, it is likely that unnecessary content has been included in the email or that too many subjects have been included. Short emails show respect for the recipient's time.
Subject line is important
If the subject line does not relate to the content of the email, then the recipient has been misled in advance. This drastically reduces the chance that the e-mail will be handled properly.
Examples of good subject lines are: “Meeting moved” or “Short question about your presentation”.
Never start an email with "I"
Never start an email with "I". In doing so, we implicitly send a message that the sender is more important than the receiver. By forcing ourselves to start a sentence without an "I" we think much more about the message.
Start with the requested action
It often happens that we ask for an action. Put the question first. By doing so, the recipient immediately understands the purpose of the email.
We can distinguish two types of action-oriented e-mails:
Emails with actions that the recipient must comply with, as it is his duty. With these types of emails, the question can be asked directly and strong words can be used to encourage the recipient.
Emails with actions where the recipient can decline. With these types of emails, the question should be asked in a more polite, pleasant and sincere tone.
Make the question specific
It is tempting to describe a question somewhat vaguely. For example by giving someone a hint what is needed. We then hope that the recipient will understand the hint.
Do not do that. Ask what is specifically needed. Be as clear and specific as possible. For example, if a certain budget is required, enter the specific amount required. Be clear.
Read the message out loud
Before sending the email, it is good practice to read the message aloud. At that moment we 'hear' what the email sounds like. The parts where the words do not flow quite well or where the tone is not right can then be adjusted.
Typos, misspelled words and strange sentence structures can be corrected at the last minute. Take that extra minute to read the email carefully and correct where necessary.
Avoid long email chains
Chains of emails are generally ineffective. It is more effective to walk up to someone within five minutes and have a conversation rather than email back and forth for four hours.
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