written communication - iii - effective emailing

8/8/2019 Written Communication - III - Effective Emailing

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Effective Emailing

Presban


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Email etiquette

W e interact more and more with thewritten word all the timeW ith the world getting closer people aregoing physically away from each other.immediate feedback are important.


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E mail Becomes Ineffective

Its a double-edged problem

Too many messages are floating aroundHalf are unnecessaryThe other half are ineffective

Fixing the problem lies on our shoulders


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S ome basic E -Mail TipsBe Concise and to the point.

Answer all Questions.

Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation.Make it personal.Use templates for frequently used responses.

Answer swiftly.Do not attach unnecessary files.


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Be concise and to the point: Do not make an e-mail longer than it needs to be.

Answer all questions: An email reply mustanswer all questions, which will not only saveyours and you customers time but also your customer will be impressed with your efficient

service.Use proper spelling, grammar & punctuation:Improper spelling, grammar and punctuationgive a bad impression of your company, it is

also important for conveying the messageproperly.Make it personal: Not only should the e-mail bepersonally addressed, it should also include

personal i.e. customized content.


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Use S mart S ubject Lines

All messages should have clear andspecific S ubject Lines that

describes the message contentspecifies if there are any actions required& due dates

mentions clearly who the message is for S ubject Line Template:

TAG description [actions] [due date] [( EO M)]


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Poor Usage E xamples

No subject line


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Poor Usage

A ction required and key points arehidden in the message


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Use S mart S ubject Lines

If you can type your entire message in thesubject line and dont need to write anything

in the body of the message - do so!Type ( EO M) at the end of the subject line.EO M means end of message


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W rite For Action

In the first 1-3 lines of your email,specify what this email is about.

Does it include action required?Does it require a reply back by a certaindate?W hat information is contained that thereader will find necessary for their job?

Use the To: and Cc: addressesappropriately


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Think Before You Click

Dont automatically R E PLY T O ALL.Take one last look at your distribution list

is this email necessary for all recipients.O nce the email discussion goes beyond 2-3replies anyway, its time to pick up thephone


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R educing the Load

O verloaded system & recipientUse text messages every time you can

For S tatus Reports, Meeting Minutes, TripReports, S imple Proposals

Use formatted documents when necessaryS preadsheets, presentations, formal documents

S top replies before they startIf a reply is not required, end your message with(Reply Not Necessary)


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Q uality Communications

If an email discussion doesnt end in1-2 replies and get the results that arenecessary S TO P

Ask yourself, are you sharingexpertise, or just venting

Constructive confrontation or disagreements do N O T get resolvedin email


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G eneral Tips

Font :Use standard font throughout the messagecontent

Avoid colored fonts in a professional emailBe very specific with the use of bold, italic or underline font styleK eep the size of the font visible and constant

Paragraph and line spacing should be legitimateand visually appealing Avoid short forms or slang (e.g. u instead of you, y instead of why, r instead of are, etc)


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G eneral Tips

W rite a clear subject lineTry to keep the email brief (one screen length).Check for punctuation, spelling, and grammaticalerrors.Use a font that has a professional or neutral look.Include a closing with your nameUse caps when appropriate.

Avoid text-message-type (ex. R U 4getting s/thing?).Format your email for plain text rather than HTML.


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G eneral Tips

W hen you are writing directions or want toemphasize important points, number your directions or bullet your main points.

For example,Place the paper in drawer A.Click the green start button.

Another example,I have a couple of questions:

How can we improve customer satisfaction?W ill the proposal empower employees?


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G eneral Tips

W rite in a positive toneW hen you complete the report. instead of If you completethe report.

Avoid negative words that begin with un, non, ex or that endwith less (useless, non-existent, ex-employee, undecided).

Use smiles, winks ;), and other graphical symbolsonly when appropriate.Use contractions to add a friendly tone. (dont, wont,

cant).W hen you are sending an attachment tell your respondent what the name of the file is, what programit is saved in.


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Subject: need 3 mobile phone models by Tues

Hi Kris,

I need three mobile phone models for Thursday's demo in Chennai. Theyneed to be all touch screen and black and silver, and they need tobe packed by Tuesday night.

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Subject: Re: need 3 Mobile Phone models by Tues

Hey Jyoti - I've got two Mobile Phone Models touch screen black andsilver - already packed from last week's demo, but I don't haveanother one right now. Can you cope with two touch screen and one ofother type?

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Subject: URGENT: need 3 Mobile Phone models

Hello all,I've *got* to have another mobile phone model for the Boston demo, and

I need it by tomorrow afternoon. Jyoti has only two, and I've got tohave three. if anyone have one in their desk somewhere, I'd reallyappreciate it!

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Subject: FYI: donuts in break room

Hello all,

The donut fairy left a dozen doughnuts in the downstairs break room. First come,first served!

--------------Subject: information

Hi Kris,

Please send me information about UIUC.

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Subject: UIUC history

Hi Kris,

Are there any Web pages about the history of the U of I?

By the way, did you get the three mobile phone models you needed last week?

--------YES


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Thank You

For Listening!!

written communication - iii - effective emailing

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