How To Write An Effective Email in 6 Steps

« Easy Way to Keep Track of How Much Time Has Passed Since You Did Something | Home | Never Forget Anything Ever Again with iFlash »

How To Write An Effective Email in 6 Steps

By Grey | November 4, 2008

Having trouble writing a coherent email to your family or co-workers? Here are six tips to help you through the process.

1) Keep it Short

Keep your email as short as possible. Writing a long email is a way to ensure two things:

You will never get a response because…
Your email will never be read

The rapidity of typing makes it too easy to spew a long, ill-formed messages onto another person. If you had to write emails by hand, you’d be a lot more succinct. Cut your email down to the bones. But, this is a harder task than you think, as Abe Lincoln once wrote: “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

2) Limit Email to a Single Topic

Never write an email that covers many subjects. If you actually want a response, you need to make it easy for the other person to respond — the first way to do this is not overwhelm them with multiple tasks.

If you have many unrelated things to discuss with your recipient, send each one as a separate message.

3) Make it Clear

Emails are far too easily misunderstood. Therefore, make sure the email is as clear, unambiguous and easy to understand as possible. This means avoiding abbreviations, and brushing up on your grammar — yes it can be boring, but a little grammar revision cuts down on confusion.

Hardest of all it to make sure to explain fully to the other person what you are thinking about . It’s too simple to forget that the knowledge you have in your head is not the same as your recipient’s. Before writing the email, place yourself in their mind — think about how best to explain what you are talking about to someone who is not necessarily as familiar with the topic as you are.

In a reply, quote the exact text you’re responding to. This helps keep things clear.

4) Tell the Person Exactly What you Want

If you want something done, ask. Finish each email with a bullet point list of what you need. Don’t force the person to hunt through your earlier paragraphs looking for the things they are supposed to do.

The same goes for questions. Asking vague, essay-ish questions will get you vague essay-ish answers. Ask questions about specific topics that require specific answers

5) Write the Subject after the Email

The subject is an overlooked part of the email message. It’s often the first thing you write, before you’re even sure what the email is about. This is why subjects are often vague and unhelpful, i.e. ‘Hey,’ or ‘Hello’. After you’ve written your email — and have a better idea what the message is really about — then write the subject.

6) Writing the TO: Address is the Last Thing You Do

By waiting until the very end to enter the address, you prevent yourself from the embarrassing mistake of sending a half-completed email. Even better, if your email is written in haste or in anger, it gives you a final moment’s pause to reflect on whether you really want to send that message.

An Example:

From: coaching@silverclipboard.comTo: jo.client@gmail.comSubject: Hey

remember the thing that we talked about the other day? i need some more information so I can do it, also what are your thoughts on the new place?

This is a terrible email. The subject gives no indication as to the contents of the email. The message assumes the other person remembers the previous conversation and it combines two topics that should be separate emails. It then finishes with an essay question.Let’s take a look at a better way to accomplish the same thing:

From: coaching@silverclipboard.comTo: jo.client@gmail.comSubject: Information re: New Seminar Venue

Yesterday we talked about changing the venue for the seminar on the 30th of August

Could you please:

* Tell me the new venue's name and address

* Do you think the space is adequate to hold and speak to 500 people?

Thanks,

This is much better. The subject tells what the email is about, it reminds the recipient about the previous conversation and it finishes with the exact information the sender requires.--

Header photograph by Pink Sherbet Photography

--

Share and Enjoy: