Top 5 Best Practices for Writing Effective E-mail
November 22nd, 2009 by Rene Zuleta
I’m usually amazed of the amount of unnecessary problems created at work many times because of people not being savvy about using “simple” stuff such as e-mails. Having that said, I like to share info that I find useful such as tips that can help us enjoy a better time at work while avoiding unnecessary conflicts.
As Dave Johnson on BNET blog points outs, writing e-mail isn’t exactly Shakespeare, but there’s an art to it nonetheless. So here’s a list of 5 Do’s and 5 Don’ts regarding e-mail.
Top 5 Dos
5. Put important information in bold, so it’s easier to see. Likewise, if you’ve addressed an e-mail to several people and there’s an action for a certain person, bold his or her name when you address the issue. Use bold sparingly, though.
4. If action is required, say so at the start of the e-mail. Don’t tell a long story with the requested action at the bottom. This is called the BLUF method, but I also tend to call it “getting to the verb.”
3. Keep your signature short and professional. Lose the pithy quote and just include your title and phone number.
2. Keep the subject line relevant. If the topic changes over the course of a long thread, update the subject so it’s relevant.
1. Proof your e-mail before you send it. And make sure your spell checker is running.
Top 5 Don’ts
5. Don’t ever type anything in ALL CAPS, even to get someone’s attention. If you need to catch someone’s eye with something important, put it in bold.
4. Don’t include your entire team or your boss on every e-mail you send. Be selective.
3. Don’t send large attachments unless absolutely necessary, especially to a mailing list or distribution list. If possible, upload your files to the cloud, such as DropBox or MemoPal and provide a link.
2. Don’t send e-mail when you’re emotional. If you’re responding to someone that has made you angry, save the message in your drafts folder until you can proof-read it more objectively, and then send the e-mail.
1. Don’t try to be funny, especially to a mixed audience. The chances of being misunderstood are astronomical.
