Communicating Through E-mail: Top 10 Dos and Donʼts! Presented by Geri Ann Fuller!
1. Donʼt put anything in an e-mail that you are not willing to see on the front page of the newspaper." Most companies monitor e-mail.! An e-mail meant for only 1 or 2 people could end up being read by the entire company.! Language appropriate for someone you know well might be viewed differently by those who donʼt know you well.!
Oh,"blah," blah," blah. "
2. Use a strong subject line and keep the e-mail short.! The subject determines whether the reader even opens your message.! If possible, use an action word to call the readerʼs attention.! Use simple, plain language and say as much as you can in a few words.! The best subject lines give the reader a good idea of what is enclosed in the e-mail.! Keep your e-mails to 1 screen and 1 subject. Longer messages can be attached as a Word document.!
3. Avoid using Reply All.! 1. There are times when Reply All is appropriate, such as group projects.! 2. Some of the worst cases of e-mails gone wrong have to do with the wrong person receiving an e-mail.! 3. It is easy to hit the Send key by mistake.! 4. When using Reply All you include blind copied names that you may not see on the recipient list.!
3. Avoid using Reply All.! 5. Get in the habit of starting a fresh e- mail every time.! 6. Leave the address line blank or use your own e-mail address while you compose your message.! 7. Enter the recipientʼs name after you are completely sure that you are ready to send it.!
4. Be as professional in an e-mail as you would in any other written correspondence." Good writing is evidence of clear thinking.! Great writers know that writing is a process.! Most people say what they mean only when they really think about it.! Do not use colorful backgrounds, and stick to standard serif typefaces such as Times New Roman.! Keep it legible at an 11- or 12-point font size.!
4. Be as professional in an e-mail as you would in any other written correspondence." Donʼt" Use emoticons, flowers, quotes for the day, etc.! Use sexist language ever.! Use acronyms or jargon unless you are certain your audience will understand them.! Send jokes on the company computer.! Use all caps.! Forward spam or chain mail.!
5. Never strike the Send key when you are angry or if your message is one your reader will not like." 1. E-mail tends to sound angry even when you are not.! 2. When we communicate in person, body language and tone of voice account for most of the message.! 3. It may be best to have a face-to-face meeting or phone conversation. If itʼs not possible, write out your message, but do not send it for a day or two. Read it again and you will be happy you didnʼt send it that day.!
5. Never strike the Send key when you are angry or if your message is one your reader will not like." 4. It is not a good idea for you to use e-mail for anything that might be received as negative.! 5. It is better to discipline or deny a request in person so you can gauge how the person responds.! 6. Donʼt send sympathetic or congratulatory messages through e-mail. Handwritten messages are more meaningful in these circumstances.! 7. Read e-mails out loud so you can hear the tone in your message.!
6. Get started right away by planning effectively.! 3 elements of planning:! 1. Brainstorming! 2. Assessing your audience! 3. Organizing your work!!
Brainstorming! One of the hardest parts of writing for many people is just getting started.! Use the right hemisphere, or the creative side of the brain.! The right hemisphere makes us imaginative, artistic, physical, impulsive, and emotional.! One well-known brainstorming technique is mind mapping.!
Trade Show! Brochure! Booth! Presentation! Publicity! Copy! Represent! Script! Press Releases! Print! Display! PowerPoint! Media! Mailing! Equipment! Post! Brainstorming!
Assess Your Audience! The purpose statement is the first step in planning.! What do you want your readers to do or think after reading your document?! When you assess your audience, you are learning about them so that you can give them what they want.! Purpose + audience + content = document!!
Assess Your Audience! 1. Who are my readers?! 2. What do they know about my topic?! 3. What do they want or need to know?! 4. What are my readersʼ backgrounds?! 5. How experienced are they?! 6. How well educated are they?! 7. What else do I know about them?! 8. Who am I writing to?!
Assess Your Audience! Picture the face of a typical person in the audience while writing.! Consider the communication style of your reader and present information in a way that he or she can relate to.! Most of us write most easily to our own communication style, but you may need to adapt to the way they think to get them on your side.!
Factual! This is the most common communication style.! They are very detailoriented.! They want proof.! This is the only one of the 4 communication styles that will read the entirety of a long document.!
Lovable! This is the person in the office with the candy bowl on his or her desk.! This personʼs need is to get along.! They know what is going on in the office.! They are collaborative in their decisionmaking.! They are likely to read the conclusion of your document.!
Executive! This type of communicator is hardcharging, organized, and managerial.! They are motivated by a drive to get it done.! They only want to know what they need to make a decision.! They will always read bullet points in your document.!
Social! This is the least common type of communicator.! They strive for attention.! They are open, direct, often creative, and inspiring.! They are likely to only look at parts of your document that stand out.!
The Inverted Pyramid! Most important information! Top of your document! Least important information! Bottom of! your document!
The Persuasion Pyramid! Purpose statement! Main reasons you want this goal! Facts or examples that support your main reasons!
7. Find a way to make your message positive.! Ask for what you want, not what you donʼt want.! Avoid writing in a manner that can be understood as sarcastic or negative.! Ask for things in a way that makes people want to help you.!
KISS:! Keep! It! 1. Write at a sixth- to ninth-grade reading level.! 2. If they donʼt understand, they will stop reading.! 3. Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.! 4. Use white space in your e-mail to prevent people from being overwhelmed.! Short and! Simple! 8. Grammar Tips to Help You Avoid Mistakes!
Remember that rules change.! Many rules that we learned in high school no longer apply in business e-mail writing.! 5. Do use contractions such as isnʼt, wonʼt, and canʼt.! 6. Do use personal pronouns such as you, I, and we.! 7. Do start your sentences with conjunctions such as and, because, and yet when you are showing transitions.! 8. Do end your sentences with prepositions if it is awkward not to.! 8. Grammar Tips to Help You Avoid Mistakes!
WRONG: He planned to go to the basketball game tonight, he had to stay home and finish a report instead.!! RIGHT: He planned to go to the basketball game tonight. He had to stay home and finish a report instead.!! RIGHT: He planned to go to the basketball game tonight; he had to stay home and finish a report instead.!! RIGHT: He planned to go to the basketball game tonight, but he had to stay home and finish a report instead.!!! Avoid Run-on Sentences! Also avoid using no punctuation at all:" " He planned to go to the basketball game tonight he had to stay home and finish a report instead." " Thatʼs just confusing and unclear to your reader."!!
Avoid Misplaced Modifiers! A misplaced modifier is when what you are trying to describe is different than what it sounds like you are trying to describe.! An example: Being only 8 years old at the time, my grandmother was my favorite person in the whole world.! It would be better to say: Being only 8 years old at the time, I adored my grandmother.!
Avoid Passive Voice" Which of these messages is clearer?! Invoices should be sent by managers to Accounting no later than 3 p.m.! Or! Managers, please send invoices to Accounting before 3 p.m.! In passive voice, the subject becomes the object and the object becomes the subject.!
Avoid Passive Voice" Passive voice weakens your writing unless 1 of these conditions applies:! You do not know who or what did the action.! Another part of the sentence is more important.! We donʼt want to blame someone else.! To take the heat off ourselves if we did the negative action!
If you go on and on without getting to the point, people may not even open your e-mails.! 9. Cut the Fat! If you train your readers that every word of your message packs a punch, they will pay attention.!
9. Cut the Fat! Watch out for redundancy: tuna fish, true facts, honest truth, etc.! Eliminate gobbledegook: Free of charge can be simply free.! Avoid using these words: that, which, who, there are, and it is.!
Proofreading is your last chance to make sure your e-mail is right before you send it out. At this stage you will be less focused on the message and will make sure all typographical errors have been corrected.! 10. Proofread!!
Top 10 Dos Before You Hit Send" 1. Make the subject line prompt an appropriate response or action.! 2. Keep e-mails short, preferably 1 screen.! 3. Check spelling and typos. Donʼt rely on spelling and grammar checker.! 4. Check and answer your e-mail promptly.! 5. Limit your e-mails to 1 screen and 1 topic. Use attachments if you have a lot to say.! 6. Delete as much unnecessary detail as possible.!
Top 10 Dos Before You Hit Send" 7. Respond in a timely manner when someone has asked you for a specific action or response.! 8. Reply to the sender only when asked for specific information from you. Reply to all when it is requested or necessary given the e-mail request.! 9. Include a salutation, closing, and signature.! 10. Format your text and use bullets and headings to focus the reader on the key information in your e-mail.!
With Geri Ann Fuller! Welcome to Communicating Through E-mail: Top 10 Dos and Donʼts Q&A!
Thank you!