I've spoken extensively about appropriate e-mail etiquette and the importance of communicating in a professional, thoughtful manner. Of course, having great e-mail etiquette means little if people aren't even reading your e-mails. Maybe your e-mail contains language that triggers the recipient's spam filter, or perhaps your subject line isn't compelling enough to entice someone to open it. Either way, these roadblocks can prevent your message from being read by clients and coworkers.
Recently I discovered a great book on e-mail efficiency- The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your E-mail Before It Manages You, by Mike Song, Vicki Halsey, and Tim Burress. Here are some tips I learned from the book:
Subject lines should inform. Have you ever received an e-mail with no subject? What is your impression of the sender? Make sure your subject line is clear, concise, and relevant. Subject lines can be used to inform, provide information, confirm work projects, or request action. General subject lines like "Hello" can be mistaken for spam if the recipient doesn't recognize your name. Instead, be specific, such as "Following Up on Next Week's Staff Meeting." If the matter is urgent, put that in the subject line���but only if it genuinely is important. Do not set your subject line in all caps, as it could also be mistaken for spam.
Get to the point. Start your e-mail with a salutation, a short warm greeting, and a few lines explaining the purpose of your e-mail. For example: "Hi Cynthia, great meeting yesterday. I wanted to confirm the details of the project we are working on." That way, the reader knows the focus of the e-mail.
Write an action summary. At the top of the e-mail, put a single sentence that summarizes the action required, key points, or the purpose of the e-mail. What happens when you open a long e-mail with several paragraphs? If you're like me, either you move it to a folder or it sits in your inbox until you have time to deal with it. Trying to read long paragraphs to determine the purpose of the e-mail can be time-consuming and frustrating. A clear action summary makes it easy for the reader to respond without sifting through the entire message for key points.
Provide background information. Here is where you briefly summarize information the reader may need to take action. For instance, you might provide a link to a report, important guidelines or further instructions.
Create well-structured content. In the body of the e-mail, organize the content into specific categories. Use descriptive titles for each category and make the title bold. Create a new paragraph for each new category. The authors of The Hamster Revolution recommend that you use bullet points rather than long paragraphs. Bullet points are good for listing information succinctly and they are easy to read.
Avoid spam language. To make sure that your message reaches its destination, steer clear of language that might trigger spam settings. Foul, sexual-related language is a big no-no, as are words like credit, free!, win!, lose weight, cash bonus, and anything else you might commonly see in a spam e-mail. End your message with a friendly close. If you want to include some chit-chat in the e-mail, restrict it to the close. Often we include small talk at the beginning of the e-mail but it distracts from the real message. The close is also a good time to discuss next steps for future e-mail correspondence.
Include an e-mail signature. After the close, provide your name, position, company, phone number, and website address. Be sure the e-mail signature projects a professional image.
The next time you draft an e-mail, use these tips. If your e-mail is clear and concise, you'll dramatically increase your chance of getting through to your recipient. It's the only way to do business!
Juanita Ecker, President of Professional Image Management, is a corporate trainer in business etiquette, professional image and telephone manners. She can be reached by
e-mail at image3@nycap.rr.com or via the web at www.professionalimagemgt.com©2007 Professional Image Management
Juanita Ecker, president of Professional Image Management, is a corporate image and business etiquette consultant. She can be reached by phone at (518) 279-9388 or online at www.professionalimagemanagement.com.