What Everybody Ought to Know About Sending Email

Love it or hate it. Email takes up way too much time in the day. Here are some tips to keep in mind before sending out your next email. Your colleagues will thank you!

Use a clear, direct subject line – Most people scan their inbox rather than open every email, so make sure you’re using a relevant subject line that captures their attention and provides details about what you’re referencing in your email.

Personalize your message – People pay attention to their name, whether spoken or written, so take advantage of that subtle hint to grab their attention. Use it within the subject and body of your email.

Be concise – Email is best-kept brief. Don’t try to cover too many subjects in a single email. Some items may be missed and will be harder to reference later if too many things are covered.

Consider the timeliness of the response needed – If you need a response within the next 30 minutes, you better call or request in person. Need a reply within 2 hours, try texting. If you need to hear back within the workday, use Instant Message/Teams/Slack/etc. Requests that aren’t a priority should be OK to email.

Follow up when necessary – Remember that people get busy and may only be able to respond after a while. Therefore, they may need a gentle reminder to return your email. If you don’t hear back, follow up two days later with a reminder.

Be mindful of context – Would the information you’re sharing be best communicated via email, a call, or face-to-face?

Send from the correct account – If you’re like most people, you may have multiple email accounts on your mobile device. When sending a message from your device, ensure you send the email from the correct account. You don’t want to send a business email from your personal account accidentally.

Try to minimize email usage overall – For example, look at restricting sending an email for the following situations:

• Send data for the user to review or analyze.
• Ask for a decision, permission, or authorization. Especially suitable for when you want to give someone time to think about their answer before replying.
• Document an important discussion.
• Schedule an appointment.
• Share an announcement with your team.

In closing, add the email address of the recipient last to avoid accidentally sending the message before you’re ready. 🙂