This article is extracted from my new book,
Model Business Letters, E-mails and Other Business
Documents.
When I talk to my workshop participants I often ask
them what annoys them most about e-mail. Here is my
compilation of the top 10 weakest links that I wold like
to eliminate from e-mail writing.
1 Wrong time and date
It can be very confusing if your computer doesn't have
the correct time and date set. Help to keep track of
your messages, and help everyone else too, by setting
the time and date correctly.
2 Vague subject line
Readers with huge inboxes will not open your 'Urgent'
or 'Enquiry' or 'Hellooooo'. Compost a SMART subject
line that is:
Specific
Meaningful
Appropriate
Relevant
Thoughtful
3 No greeting and no sign off
There are 2 reasons for a greeting (like Hello Sally, Hi
Leslie, Dear Mr Lim). Firstly it is a simple matter of
courtesy, and secondly it's confirmation to the reader
that the message is for them and not just a cc or bcc.
Two good reasons for a sign off are again courtesy, as
well as confirmation that the message is over. Simple!
4 Poor formatting
Messages can be confusing and garbled if you do not
think and format in paragraphs. Help your reader and
yourself by putting a blank space between paragraphs.
5 Vague messages
Often e-mail messages are so vague that the reader
can't figure out the reason for the message, or even
what they are required to do. Take time to compose
your message carefully, then check through to make
sure it's all quite clear, then check again before you
click 'send'.
6 Hunting for the response
Linked with 5, if a message is poorly structured and
garbled, the reader is left reading the message over
and over again wondering what the devil they have to
do. Rememer the 3 R's - you must guide your Reader
towards the Response expected, otherwise you can't
be sure of achieving the right Results.
7 Unfriendly tone
Emotions are hard to convey in e-mails, and
some people type out exactly what they would say
without thinking of the tone of voice that would be
used to signal their emotions. Without the right tone,
misunderstandings could easily happen. Good writers
learn to choose their words carefully and get the tone
just right.
8 cc to the whole world
It's become too easy to cc anyone and everyone, so
that's what many people do. This results in overflowing
inboxes and lots of time wasted. Please send a cc only
to people who need to know, not to everyone you
know.
9 Bad grammar, spelling and punctuation
As more people use e-mail, these basic errors are
becoming a major annoyance. People are receiving
poorly formatted messages all in one paragraph, poorly
structured messages, messages written all in capitals
(equivalent to SHOUTING!) or all in lower case, and too
many mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
10 Just plain sloppy!
Because of the urgency of replying to e-mails, many
writers are not taking as much care. Rushed messages
are often confusing, poorly structured and with lots of
errors. Readers are often offended by the tone, and
quite simply the messages are not effective. Please!
Don't you be guilty of sloppy writing just for the sake of
speed!
Read more about how you can e-mail your way to the top! »
