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10 Tips for Sending Email

Written by: Alvah Parker

Article Overview: This week I was working with another coach on a presentation by phone. She wanted to see the description I had written of my presentation so I quickly sent it off to her in email or so I thought. When she didn’t receive it I checked my “Sent” file. Whoops! I clicked on the wrong person in my Outlook address book. Same first name but different last name! How embarrassing! Here are some tips for writing email. Remember your email could end up in the wrong hands so be careful!

10 Tips for Sending Email



This week I was working with another coach on a presentation by phone.
She wanted to see the description I had written of my presentation so
I quickly sent it off to her in email or so I thought. When she
didn’t receive it I checked my “Sent” file. Whoops! I clicked on the wrong
person in my Outlook address book. Same first name but different last
name! How embarrassing!

Here are some tips for writing email. If you are regularly sending off
resumes or emailing client, remember your email could end up in the
wrong hands so be careful!

1. Compose carefully. Think about what you want to say before dashing
off a message. Some people ramble on and on. Others in their haste are
not clear. Ask yourself: Will the reader understand this?

2. Be aware of the tone. Consider the tone of the email. Could someone
misinterpret it? Never write an email when you are angry. Wait until
you have settled down before you write it. If you are unsure, let
someone else look at your response.

3. Proof read. Be sure you have written what you meant to say. A
misspelled word or incorrect punctuation can change your meaning. Read the
book Eat, Shoots and Leaves for more on this topic.

4. Keep it private. Do not deliver private information via email.
Most people know you should not send credit card information in email but
one manager of a friend delivered his appraisal of her work in email
and it wasn’t complimentary! Remember email can be forwarded. Do not say
anything that you don’t want the world to know!

5. Corporate email. Reread your email and assume your boss will be
reading it. Email is not confidential and in a corporate setting the
company has a right to read it. Use Yahoo or Hotmail for personal email.

6. Stop shouting. Don’t write in all capital letters. That is
considered shouting on the Internet.

7. Check “To:” before you hit send. It is so easy to put in the wrong
address or hit “reply all” when you meant to hit “reply”. Avoid
embarrassment.

8. BCC not CC. If you are sending email to a group, keep the addresses
of the group private by using BCC. Don’t inadvertently give out
someone else’s email. Some people want to keep their email addresses private
because there is so much spam today and they also don’t want to be
open for viruses. Honor their wishes sending them a copy that is BCC.
This allows you to send to a list without revealing everyone on the list.
They see only their own email address.

9. Fonts, colors, bolding and italics. Don’t use unusual fonts, color,
bolding or italics. These don’t always translate the same way in
different email systems and could show up as coding to some people.

10. No subject. Be sure to put a subject in your email. Everyone
today gets so much email. If you want to be sure that yours is read,
include a compelling subject so the reader opens your mail.

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Article Tags: email, outlook address book, proof read, wrong hands, wrong person



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