Do you remember memos—a waste of time and paper? My former boss, who was a frustrated writer, enjoyed sharing his random thoughts through memos while his staff dreaded receiving them. When e-mail replaced memos as a quick and easy way to communicate with others, writing clearly became important to business success. There are a few ways to make your e-mail messages more effective.
- Try to educate recipients rather than impress them. Instead of using words that no one knows or ever uses, use simple words. Trying to impress someone usually backfires.
- Proofread, check spelling, and then proofread again. One of the best ways to come across as unprofessional is to send e-mails filled with typos. Use your e-mail’s spell check feature but keep in mind that it won’t check for improper word usage (“for” instead of “four” or “to” instead of “too”). Read every e-mail again before you push send.
- Keep your e-mails short and to the point. If you have to send a long e-mail, make it easy to read by using bulleted points, bold type, or italics to emphasize key points. You’ll make it easier for the recipient to find the points that need his or her attention.
- Make it easy for recipients to respond to your e-mail messages. Include your phone number, e-mail address, pager and cell phone number as part of your e-mail signature. Also—and I know it’s common sense—make sure your contact information is correct.
- When dealing with clients, find out whether e-mail is the way they want you to communicate with them. I know it’s hard to believe, but some people rarely check their e-mail and unlike me, they prefer to talk on the phone.
- Limit the number of e-mails you send to a client. Your client may need project updates or other information, but contacting them too often may border on annoying, rather than efficient. It’s important to stay in contact with your clients yet it’s also important to respect their time.
