10 Tips for

Effective Communication
Via E Mails

Use Proper Structure &

Layout

Since reading from a screen is more difficult

than reading from paper, the structure and lay
out is very important for e-mail messages. Use
short paragraphs and blank lines between each
paragraph. When making points, number them
or mark each point as separate.

Use A Meaningful Subject

Try to use a subject that is meaningful to the

recipient as well as yourself. For instance, when
you send an email to a company requesting
information about a product, it is better to
mention the actual name of the product. E.g.;
Product ABC description

Answer All Questions, And

Pre-Empt Further Questions

An email reply must answer all questions, and preempt further questions If you do not answer all the
questions in the original email, you will receive
further e-mails regarding the unanswered questions,
which will not only waste your time and your
receivers time but also cause considerable
frustration.

Moreover, if you are able to pre-empt relevant

questions, your receiver will be grateful and
impressed with your efficiency.

Do Not Write In CAPITALS

If you write in capitals it seems as if you are

shouting. This can be highly annoying and
might trigger an unwanted response. Therefore,
try not to send any email text in capitals.

Don't Leave Out The Message

Thread

When you reply to an email, you must include

the original mail in your reply, in other words
click 'Reply', instead of 'New Mail'. Leaving the
thread might take a fraction longer in download
time, but it will save the recipient much more
time and frustration in looking for the related
emails in their inbox.

Take Care With Abbreviations

And Emoticons

In business emails, try not to use abbreviations such

as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud).

The recipient might not be aware of the meanings of

the abbreviations and in business emails these are
generally not appropriate.

The same goes for emoticons, such as the smiley :-).

If you are not sure whether your recipient knows what
it means, it is better not to use it.

Complaints/Escalations

D Describe

A Acknowledge

S Specify Alternative

R Request action/reaffirm

E.g.: I would like to bring to your notice that there has been
frequent delay in the delivery of the consignment from the
production department. We understand that the department has
shortage of resources. However we suggest the requisition form is
sent one day earlier to ensure adequate time for the production
team for packaging. This would avoid delays in future. We are
hopeful that appropriate corrective action would be taken.

Saying No:

A Apologise

E Explain

A Alternative

E.g.: I regret to let you know that we are not in a

position to work on additional data at this point in
time. This is because the entire team is currently
working on an emergency assignment. However I
can suggest a freelancer who can complete the task
in 3 days.

Apologise:

M Message

D Details

A Action

E Ending

E.g.: Please accept our sincere apologies for the delay in

sending the report. Our Data bank had crashed yesterday. The
service engineer who maintains the data bank was unable to
rectify the issue on time due to the prolonged power shut down.
We have installed additional back up to avoid such mishaps in
future. We once again are sorry for the delay and assure that
such shortfalls do not occur again.

Delivering Bad News:

M Message

E Empathize

A Assure

T Take action

E.g.: It is with regret that we inform you that the transport

vehicle that carriers your consignment met with an accident on
GST road last night. Unfortunately the consignment caught fire
and was charred completely. We understand the impact this delay
is going to have on your deliverables to your client and the
possible monetary loss. We assure our complete support in
reducing the delay from our end. In fact we have already
allocated an additional resource to work on your case.