effecitve emails course
DESCRIPTION
A course that I was asked to write and deliver to fellow professionalsTRANSCRIPT
Effective Email Writing Effective Email Writing
Susan Lovejoy
Before you start ask yourself: Why am I writing this? What result(s) am I looking for? Have I exhausted all other
avenues? (then tell them what you did and the results)
Is this an essential email?
Before you start ask yourself: Why am I writing this? What result(s) am I looking for? Have I exhausted all other
avenues? (then tell them what you did and the results)
Is this an essential email?
Effective Email Writing: Kinds of Email Overview (authoring and
receiving) Do’s and Don’ts Writing Basics
Effective Email Writing: Kinds of Email Overview (authoring and
receiving) Do’s and Don’ts Writing Basics
Kinds of emails:No reply: Tell recipient something:
compliment, thank you, FYI, provide information
Reply needed: Ask them for something: advice, direction, answer, information
Dialogue: Open communication: follow-up, suggestions, discussion
Action: The goal is the action: task, action items, repair, order
Kinds of emails:No reply: Tell recipient something:
compliment, thank you, FYI, provide information
Reply needed: Ask them for something: advice, direction, answer, information
Dialogue: Open communication: follow-up, suggestions, discussion
Action: The goal is the action: task, action items, repair, order
Overview (authoring an email): Who(m) (To: _______) What (Subject) Why (Content of the email) When (Timeline) How (Who’s doing what) Closing
Overview (authoring an email): Who(m) (To: _______) What (Subject) Why (Content of the email) When (Timeline) How (Who’s doing what) Closing
To whom are you sending the mail?
Consider who needs to know about the subject and/or who needs to take some action.
Why does each person need to be included?
Exclude anyone who doesn’t have to know this information
To whom are you sending the mail?
Consider who needs to know about the subject and/or who needs to take some action.
Why does each person need to be included?
Exclude anyone who doesn’t have to know this information
What is the subject of your email? Be specific Subject should summarize content Consider how the person receiving the
email uses it and what the subject tells them
Use subject as the email Don’t mix topics – consider sending
additional emails
What is the subject of your email? Be specific Subject should summarize content Consider how the person receiving the
email uses it and what the subject tells them
Use subject as the email Don’t mix topics – consider sending
additional emails
Bad and good subjects:Vacation or Vacation Request for Lovejoy, Aug, 09
Upcoming meeting or ECC Management Meeting on 10/12, meeting room not available
Email problem or Unable to connect to email from home
Agenda or Meeting agenda for ABC Company, 10/12
Favor or Need assistance with setting up Email
ITSR forms or Fill out ITSR for a your new phone
Bad and good subjects:Vacation or Vacation Request for Lovejoy, Aug, 09
Upcoming meeting or ECC Management Meeting on 10/12, meeting room not available
Email problem or Unable to connect to email from home
Agenda or Meeting agenda for ABC Company, 10/12
Favor or Need assistance with setting up Email
ITSR forms or Fill out ITSR for a your new phone
Why are you sending an email? Be specific and clear Don’t include a lot of details or lead-
ins Lead with most critical point Keep it positive Keep lines between (white space) Short paragraphs, bulleted points Use closed ended questions Use it to save time
Why are you sending an email? Be specific and clear Don’t include a lot of details or lead-
ins Lead with most critical point Keep it positive Keep lines between (white space) Short paragraphs, bulleted points Use closed ended questions Use it to save time
When is what you’re emailing about getting completed?
Be clear about your time frame When do need this or when can
you deliver?
When is what you’re emailing about getting completed?
Be clear about your time frame When do need this or when can
you deliver?
How is what you’re emailing about getting done?
What are your requested actions items?
Who are you asking to do these?
Be clear and specific. Make it fast and easy
How is what you’re emailing about getting done?
What are your requested actions items?
Who are you asking to do these?
Be clear and specific. Make it fast and easy
Closing your email: Thank them Include your contact
information
Closing your email: Thank them Include your contact
information
Keep it SimpleGroup Activity – Make it brief –
Text the Text(5 minutes)
Keep it SimpleGroup Activity – Make it brief –
Text the Text(5 minutes)
Overview (responding to or forwarding an email)
Answer quickly, be clear and specific Pare down recipients Answer questions, preempt further
ones Clearly state any questions you have,
how you will follow-up or action items and your timeline
Don’t reply unless you have to (no: thanks, ok or see ya there)
Overview (responding to or forwarding an email)
Answer quickly, be clear and specific Pare down recipients Answer questions, preempt further
ones Clearly state any questions you have,
how you will follow-up or action items and your timeline
Don’t reply unless you have to (no: thanks, ok or see ya there)
Overview (responding to or forwarding an email)
Abbreviate forwarded email, if possible Don’t forward anything unnecessary,
sensitive or inappropriate Refer to what’s in prior email (see
below) Change subject if needed or create
new email* look at Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload
Overview (responding to or forwarding an email)
Abbreviate forwarded email, if possible Don’t forward anything unnecessary,
sensitive or inappropriate Refer to what’s in prior email (see
below) Change subject if needed or create
new email* look at Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload
Do’s and Don’ts Re-read your emails (read from point of
view of recipient) Spell check Keep it “we” not “me” Say “see attachment” and attach it Don’t use caps Use sans serif (serif non monitor display) Eliminate nonessential ideas and words Read it out loud
Do’s and Don’ts Re-read your emails (read from point of
view of recipient) Spell check Keep it “we” not “me” Say “see attachment” and attach it Don’t use caps Use sans serif (serif non monitor display) Eliminate nonessential ideas and words Read it out loud
Writing Basics I or me?I am going with me.I is the subject and me is the object. End a list of objects with “me”.Diane is going with Bob, Sue and
me. (Diane is going with I?)
Writing Basics I or me?I am going with me.I is the subject and me is the object. End a list of objects with “me”.Diane is going with Bob, Sue and
me. (Diane is going with I?)
Writing Basics FragmentsLeft for home early.(who left?) I left for home early.Coming back from the meeting, for
example.(ok, what happened?) Coming back
from the meeting, for example, takes a long time.
Writing Basics FragmentsLeft for home early.(who left?) I left for home early.Coming back from the meeting, for
example.(ok, what happened?) Coming back
from the meeting, for example, takes a long time.
Writing Basics Run-on sentencesGroup Activity: Find the
Proverbs(10 minutes)
Writing Basics Run-on sentencesGroup Activity: Find the
Proverbs(10 minutes)
Writing Basics Reduce large portions of text (use
bullets, paragraphs or just shorten what you’re saying)
Keep it brief Take notes, reorganize and then write
the email Don’t use abbreviations, jargon, big
words, acronyms, slang, emoticons or unclear words
White space
Writing Basics Reduce large portions of text (use
bullets, paragraphs or just shorten what you’re saying)
Keep it brief Take notes, reorganize and then write
the email Don’t use abbreviations, jargon, big
words, acronyms, slang, emoticons or unclear words
White space
Writing Basicshttp://www.ehow.com/video_2382065_examples-poor-word-choice.html
Writing Basicshttp://www.ehow.com/video_2382065_examples-poor-word-choice.html
Writing Basics Spot the places where you can
reduce, change and/or make more clear
Handout: 10 Steps to Successful Business Writing
Individual Activity: do Your Turn Group Activity: Rewrite the email
and write your response
Writing Basics Spot the places where you can
reduce, change and/or make more clear
Handout: 10 Steps to Successful Business Writing
Individual Activity: do Your Turn Group Activity: Rewrite the email
and write your response
Effective Email Writing: Other Applications
MemoLetterSections of a larger written workReports MeetingsVerbal communication
Effective Email Writing: Other Applications
MemoLetterSections of a larger written workReports MeetingsVerbal communication