Computers have made our world a much more information rich society, but they have also created so much information that it is sometimes hard to track it all.
Most executives average about 100 pieces of e-mail per day! Are you adding to that barrage? According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, e-mail has added one to two hours to each person's work schedule per day compared to 10 years ago. Here are 10 tips to use when you are the sender of e-mail to save you and the receiver time.
1. Use Templates and Stationary!
If you frequently send the same type of email, save a copy as a draft or template that you can reuse over & over (changing the specifics such as name, date and amount for each email). Many e-mail programs have the ability to save pre-formatted stationery you can recall over and over. Need help learning how to do that? Let us know!
2. Spamming is Not Advised
Blatantly promoting your business by posting an advertisement to a discussion group is bad form, unless it is clearly an accepted use and you have cleared it with the moderator (if there is one) first. Otherwise, you are "spamming." Offer information of value, rather than simply inviting people to your web site. Always offer readers the opportunity to get off of your distribution list.
3. Slow the Electronic Conversation Down
If the matter you are replying to is not urgent, reply right away (procrastination is never good), but schedule it to go out a few days later. Sometimes e-mail conversations can start going back and forth so quickly that full conversations begin - that is not the purpose of e-mail.
4. Use Meaningful Subject Lines
Specific subject lines allow the reader to process email faster. Since the majority of working individuals receive a number of e-mails, help them know what you need from them before they open the e-mail. Below are sample key words to begin your email:
* Response Needed: . . .
* URGENT: (but make sure it is truly urgent --
if every email you send has this heading, it will become pointless.)
* Project ____: . . .
* Reply Requested By mm/dd/yy: . . . (could also be written as RB mm/dd/yy)
* ACTION NEEDED: . . .
* Meeting Rescheduled: from mm/dd/yy to mm/dd/yy
5. Follow with Summary Information in the Body of Your Mail.
After using the key words to start the e-mail, make sure to follow up with summary detail. For example, saying "Action Needed" gives very little information. However, if you say "Action Needed: XYZ Project Deadline Deliverables" lets the person know the context of the request.
Use BLOT Statements BLOT = Bottom Line on Top -- It means, put the main issues of the e-mail in the first 2 lines of writing. Make the action items clear at the beginning of the email.
6. Don't Automatically CC Everyone
Consider who really needs the information you are conveying.
7. Request Replies to Sender Only
When sending to a large group for input, request that those receiving the e-mail only reply to the sender. As the sender, you coordinate the responses and send in a master e-mail. This eliminates multiple e-mail strings from forming.
8. Avoid Cyber-speak
Not everyone is familiar with the cute acronyms used in e-mail correspondence, such as IMHO (in my humble opinion) or FWIW (for what it's worth). Performing a mental translation each time slows down the reader. Focus on making your communication easy to read rather than difficult.
9. Be Careful with Punctuation
A lot of periods can separate thoughts..... but use a lot of exclamation marks and it looks like you're angry!!!!!!!!!! How does a line of question marks look ??????? You might not intend strong emotion, but the other person might think you do.
10. Consider Before You Write
Consider carefully what you write; it's a permanent record and can be easily forwarded to others. Never accuse people, call them names, suggest they aren't being smart or criticize their spelling. Assume their intentions are genuine. Avoid sarcasm. Be polite and assertive if necessary (i.e. to spammers) but not vindictive.
By following these tips you will increase the efficiency of your communication and improve the speed with which your emails are read and responded.
Help Others Manage Their Daily Baragge of Email and Save Time Too - To learn more about this author, visit Stephanie Calahan's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors |
|
Dr. John Oda
John Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
|
Dianne Crampton
Dianne Crampton is an Executive Leadership Coach and Team Building Consultant and creator of the TIGERS team development model. For the past twenty years she has helped leaders and teams achieve goals with high levels of collaboration and teamwork.
Crampton is a published author. Her contribution to Working Together: Diversity As Opportunity was endorsed by Stephen Covey. She has written for trade magazines. Merrill Lynch nominated her business for Inc. Magazine’s regional small business and entrepreneurial awards. Her work with Native Americans was recognized at a United Nations sponsored conference in 1994.
The TIGERS model passed two rigorous validation studies in 1992 and 1994. The TIGERS Survey is able to measure and track team development over time.
Dianne is also the creator and distributor of the TIGERS Team Wheel game. This game helps groups identify behaviors that build collaborative groups and behaviors that cause conflict, morale problems, production failures, and misunderstandings.
For more information, or to subscribe to TigerTracks, a free monthly leadership and team newsletter go to http://www.corevalues.com - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
|
The Evan Elite Authors program is currently in beta phase. For details please contact us.
|
|
|
Stephanie Calahan
(Visit Stephanie's Website)
Stephanie L.H. Calahan (www.Step
hanieCalahan.com) of Calahan
Solutions, Inc. is a dynamic entrepreneur,
nationally known exper and speaker, media
personality, author, publisher,
productivity/ organization consultant, &
business start-up coach. She focuses on
conducting presentations, personal
coaching, productivity assessments &
organizing services. She believes that
diversity of thought, communication
styles, backgrounds, & experiences lead to
more innovative, longer-lasting solutions.
Steph has worked with hundreds of clients,
and understands that every person is
unique & requires systems that work for
them. As such, she has been featured on/in
numerous venues (w
ww.calahansolutions.net)
She is an active member in many
professional organizations & is an active
community leader. As such, she has
received many awards recognizing her for
her contributions. Her corporate and small
business expertise as well as her Computer
Science & HR backgrounds give her a unique
perspective of what works at work. As a
wife & mother, she knows family & leisure
time is more important than ever.
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
![[Get Copyright Permissions]](http://license.icopyright.net/images/icopy-w.gif){kind=small}
Job Number One in email marketing is to grab the reader's attention. 
