Effective Emails

Agenda
When to use email
Effective Subject Lines
Email Content and Style
Format
Signatures
Professionalism

When to use email

If the communication will require
a lot of back-and-forth discussion
or if the subject is delicate or
sensitive you should call or speak
with the person directly

When to use email

If a discussion is becoming
emotionally charged, stop
exchanging emails.
Speak to the person directly to
clear up any misunderstandings.

Effective subject lines

Clarity
Descriptive
Critical information

Ineffective subject lines

Subject:

Date:

Hi

9:17 am

questions

10:11
am

Meeting

12:44
pm

One more thing...........

3:02 pm

Some thoughts

4:21pm

Effective subject lines

Subject:

Date:

Party planning meeting rescheduled for 3pm

9:17 am

Help: I cant find the draft for the Smith Paper

10:11
am

Reminder: peer-review articles due tomorrow

(3/30)

12:44
pm

Questions about Sociology 210 project

3:02 pm

Congratulations to Jennifer for winning Nobel

Prize

4:21pm

Effective subject lines

Subject:

Date:

Re: Question about Smith paper (was: please

help with this!)

10:11
am

Change subject
lines when
necessary

Effective subject lines

Subject:

Date:

Re: Re: Re: [Fwd: [Fwd: [hrfac] Reminder:

Deadline for Spring Semester Is Jan. 15]]

9:17
am

Remove extra
email prefixes

Effective subject lines

Subject:

Date:

Thanks for the help today! <eom>

<end of message>

9:17 am

Got your message <nm>

<no message>

10:11
am

12:44
<subject says it all>
Todays group meeting canceled <ssia>
pm

Email Content
Before you start writing, ask
yourself..

Is this truly the correct person to

contact?

What is my goal?
Should this conversation be held
in person or over the phone?

Email Content
Use a polite and respectful
greeting and closing
Professor Anderson,.
Respectfully,....
Sincerely,..

Email Content
Brevity and clarity
Try to keep each email short
Use paragraphs (5 sentences
each)

Is this message scannable and

actionable?

Email Content
Use topic sentences
One topic per email
Provide important dates or
references

Put each action or point on its

own line

Poor Email Content

Jon,
Hey, I was just thinking about the meeting we had about the new
workshop you were planning for next week about resumewriting. I think that we may have forgotten to include all of the
students who might benefit from this workshop. There are
several groups of students at the School of Public Health that
were not on your list. Of course you may have added them to
you list since our last meeting. Sara from the School of Public
Health contacted me to ask if the students from the Epidemiology
program were on our list of included students. She also wanted a
list of all of the included departments from the School of Public
Health. Can you send me a list of all of the included student
groups? I can then send the relevant information on to Sara
because she needs this information by tomorrow.
Thanks,
Rachell

Better Email Content

Jon,
Can you send me a list of the students included in the
resume-writing workshop by tomorrow?
We may have forgotten to include all of the students who
might benefit from this workshop. There are several groups
of students at the School of Public Health that were not on
your list. Sara from the School of Public Health contacted
me to ask if the students from the Epidemiology program
were on our list. I will send her that information tomorrow
after I get the list from you.
Thanks,
Rachell

Format
Plain-text vs HTML
Plain-text is always preferable

Send from your university

account

DONT TYPE IN ALL-CAPS,

IT LOOKS LIKE SHOUTING

Email Signature
Use an appropriate signature
Brief (4-5 lines)
Informative

provide all contact information

Professional
do not include pictures, quotes,
animations

Professionalism
Always spell-check before
sending

Set your email program to

automatically check before

sending

Re-read email for other spelling,

grammar and punctuation errors.

Professionalism
Always proofread at least
once!

Read it out loud

Sleep on it
Before sending ask yourself.

Professionalism
Would I be comfortable having
this email posted on a public
bulletin board or forwarded on to
my entire department?
To: Professor@University.edu
Subject: Why It's All About Me
http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~schochet/NYT--To_Professor@University_edu.htm

Professionalism
All laws governing copyright,

defamation, discrimination and

other forms of written
communication also apply to
email.

Professionalism
Complete the TO: line last
Set your email program to
delay sending

Remember

Emails are permanent

Emails are searchable

Difference: Humor

Humor is riskier

Humor: Riskier

Nearly a quarter of employees

have suffered problems with
colleagues or clients because
their use of humour in an email
has not been understood or
appreciated, according to a
survey.
Robert Jacques, Email Jokes Backfire
for UK Workers (2004)

Humor: Often misinterpreted

Participants [in recent studies] were

able to accurately communicate humor
and sarcasm in ________ percent of
the emails they sent.
Louise Dobson (2006)

Humor: Often misinterpreted

Participants [in recent studies]

were able to accurately
communicate humor and
sarcasm in barely half -56 percent -- of the emails
they sent.
Louise Dobson (2006)

Tips: Humor
If in doubt, dont send it.

Chevron was forced to pay $2.2 million

to settle a harassment case based in part
on emails with such subjects as Why beer
is better than women.

Reread for ambiguities.

Signal the joke.

One emoticon or <grin> per email is plenty.

Humor: Tips in action

If you [ignore these rules], the great list

guru will expel you into the gloomy
dimension without email and your days
will be long and lonely after you have
made a permanent impression in print
for many to keep and repeat forever
<grin> (see how the use of email
"emoticons" aids the assimilation of
that last paragraph!).

Bonnie Dalzell, Welcome Message

Meeting request: Informal

From:BobAnderson<anderson@randunix>
Date:21Dec8411:40:12PST(Fri)
To:randvax!anderson,randvax!gillogly,
randvax!norm
Subject:meeting...
weneedtosetupameetingbet.jimyou
andicanyouarange?

i'mfreenextwed.thks.

Meeting agenda: Formal

Subject:MEETINGONFY86PLANNING,2PM
12/28/84,CONFERENCEROOM1
TherewillbeameetingoftheFY86planning
taskforceinConferenceRoom1onDecember28,
1984at2pm.TheAgendaforthemeetingis:
Topic
PresenterTime

StrategicBusinessPlanJohnFowles30min.
BudgetForecastforFY86SueMartin15"
NewProductAnnouncementsPeterWilson20"
ActionItemsfor1stQtrFY86JaneAdamson25"

Tip: Spelling still counts

This is an actual email.
Purposal
Icanbeatalmostanyonesprice
andalmostpromiseyousuccess
andifIdontreachit,
wewontchargeyouafterthe
timewesaywecanachieveit
untilwedo.

Tip: Spelling still counts

Sloppiness is one of seven deadly e-mail sins

Bad grammar, misspelling and disconnected
arguments gave 81 percent of the survey
sample "negative feelings" towards the senders.
41 percent of senior managers said badly
worded e-mails implied laziness and even
disrespect.
CNN.com

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side

of formality.

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side

of formality.
Usually the problem is that we treat
[e-mail] too much like a phone call
and not enough like a letter.

OConner and Kellerman (2002)

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side of

formality.
16% [of email users under 25] sign every
message with love and kisses, even when
addressing their boss

MSN survey

Tip: Level of Formality

Be conversational.
An overly formal e-mail message
alienates the reader. Dont adopt a
cold, remote, or superior tone in an
attempt to sound professional.
Angell and Heslop (2002)

Difference: Level of Formality

Questions to which answers are evolving:
Do I need a subject line?
Should I email a thank-you note
after a job interview?
Should I communicate bad news
via email?

Difference: Electronic

Hit Send and its gone

Hit Reply All and your career
may be gone
Deleted emails live on
Messages can be forwarded
without your knowledge or consent

Tip: What not to do

One of the officers convicted of beating

Rodney King sent this email:
Oops.Ihaventbeatenanyone
sobadinalongtime.
A transcript of the message was used
at his trial.

Difference: Humor

Humor is riskier

Humor: Riskier

Nearly a quarter of employees

have suffered problems with
colleagues or clients because
their use of humour in an email
has not been understood or
appreciated, according to a
survey.
Robert Jacques, Email Jokes Backfire
for UK Workers (2004)

Humor: Often misinterpreted

Participants [in recent studies] were

able to accurately communicate humor
and sarcasm in ________ percent of
the emails they sent.
Louise Dobson (2006)

Humor: Often misinterpreted

Participants [in recent studies]

were able to accurately
communicate humor and
sarcasm in barely half -56 percent -- of the emails
they sent.
Louise Dobson (2006)

Tips: Humor
If in doubt, dont send it.

Chevron was forced to pay $2.2 million

to settle a harassment case based in part
on emails with such subjects as Why beer
is better than women.

Reread for ambiguities.

Signal the joke.

One emoticon or <grin> per email is plenty.

Humor: Tips in action

If you [ignore these rules], the great list

guru will expel you into the gloomy
dimension without email and your days
will be long and lonely after you have
made a permanent impression in print
for many to keep and repeat forever
<grin> (see how the use of email
"emoticons" aids the assimilation of
that last paragraph!).

Bonnie Dalzell, Welcome Message

Meeting request: Informal

From:BobAnderson<anderson@randunix>
Date:21Dec8411:40:12PST(Fri)
To:randvax!anderson,randvax!gillogly,
randvax!norm
Subject:meeting...
weneedtosetupameetingbet.jimyou
andicanyouarange?

i'mfreenextwed.thks.

Meeting agenda: Formal

Subject:MEETINGONFY86PLANNING,2PM
12/28/84,CONFERENCEROOM1
TherewillbeameetingoftheFY86planning
taskforceinConferenceRoom1onDecember28,
1984at2pm.TheAgendaforthemeetingis:
Topic
PresenterTime

StrategicBusinessPlanJohnFowles30min.
BudgetForecastforFY86SueMartin15"
NewProductAnnouncementsPeterWilson20"
ActionItemsfor1stQtrFY86JaneAdamson25"

Tip: Spelling still counts

This is an actual email.
Purposal
Icanbeatalmostanyonesprice
andalmostpromiseyousuccess
andifIdontreachit,
wewontchargeyouafterthe
timewesaywecanachieveit
untilwedo.

Tip: Spelling still counts

Sloppiness is one of seven deadly e-mail sins

Bad grammar, misspelling and disconnected
arguments gave 81 percent of the survey
sample "negative feelings" towards the senders.
41 percent of senior managers said badly
worded e-mails implied laziness and even
disrespect.
CNN.com

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side

of formality.

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side

of formality.
Usually the problem is that we treat
[e-mail] too much like a phone call
and not enough like a letter.

OConner and Kellerman (2002)

Tip: Level of Formality

When in doubt, err on the side of

formality.
16% [of email users under 25] sign every
message with love and kisses, even when
addressing their boss

MSN survey

Tip: Level of Formality

Be conversational.
An overly formal e-mail message
alienates the reader. Dont adopt a
cold, remote, or superior tone in an
attempt to sound professional.
Angell and Heslop (2002)

Difference: Level of Formality

Questions to which answers are evolving:
Do I need a subject line?
Should I email a thank-you note
after a job interview?
Should I communicate bad news
via email?

Difference: Electronic

Hit Send and its gone

Hit Reply All and your career
may be gone
Deleted emails live on
Messages can be forwarded
without your knowledge or consent

Tip: What not to do

One of the officers convicted of beating

Rodney King sent this email:
Oops.Ihaventbeatenanyone
sobadinalongtime.
A transcript of the message was used
at his trial.

These are some guidelines. Not all need to be followed

for every audience, as the person emailing you can
determine which rule fits best.
1.Return emails within the same timeframe you
return phone calls. This may not always be realistic but
people want to know youve received their
correspondence.
2.Include the action you require of the recipient in
the email subject line. For example, Response required
or FYI only
3.Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar
errors. Use capital letters sparingly, if at all, because
tone cant also be detected in an email.
4.Use an appropriate font and point size.
5.Write in a positive tone. Avoid negative words and
blaming statements as much as possible.
6.When sending an attachment mention whats

Happy emailing!