Writing Effective Emails

George D. Darnell, PGK, PFN Ascension Council May 14, 2009

10 common e-mail habits that waste time and cause problems

1. Vague or nonexistent subject line. 2. Changing the topic without changing the subject. 3. Including multiple subjects in one note. 4. Sending before thinking.
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10 habits contd.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Inadvertent replying to all. Omitting the context of a reply. Shooting the messenger. Misaddressed recipients. Displaying addresses of recipients who are strangers to each other. 10. Replying vs. forwarding.
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Agenda
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Addressing Subject Line Message Text Signature Line Attachments Style Confidentiality and Security Managing Email References Discussion

Addressing
Limit to who really needs to know. Make it clear in text who has action and who is info addressee. Use BCC to protect Email addresses unless everyone knows each other. Watch Reply All.

Addressing (contd.)
Use address book with mail groups & validate often.
Avoid typing addresses free hand; many addresses are similar; watch auto fill. Send same message to multiple recipients by editing message as new or cutting and pasting.

Addressing (contd.)
Make sure forward does not embarrass sender.
Get permission if in doubt. Never diss sender in forward or reply.

Fill in addresses last to avoid sending an incomplete Email by mistake.

Subject Line
Headline (think newspaper). Grab Attention. Summarize message. Make it easy for recipients to triage your Email and find it later. Dont Reply All to a message to grab addressees without changing subject.

Rate These Subject Lines

1. Subject: Important! Read Immediately!! 2. Subject: Meeting 3. Subject: Follow-up About Meeting 4. Subject: Announcement 5. Subject: Do we need a larger room for Social meeting on May 14?
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Message Text
Keep the message focused and readable. Keep it short. Use inverted pyramid (newspaper). Break into paragraphs; skip lines between. Use short sentences and active voice. Use plain text editor, not MS Word. Avoid HTML. Avoid fancy typefaces.

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Message Text (contd.)

Write in standard professional English with Capitalization and correct spelling.
Dont try to impress. Avoid chat speak, e.g., CUL8R & emoticons, .

Dont type in All Caps like yelling. Avoid !!! Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT. Use * * to highlight text if you must. Proofread & spell check.
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Message Text (contd.)

Quote back selectively when replying to long messages.
Yes, I agree. is useless without context. Top quote vs. bottom quote no consensus. Avoid Fisking, replying line by line in an argumentative manner.

For URL links use SNIPURL to shorten long URLs or enclose in < >.
Free service http://snipurl.com/

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Message Text (contd.)

Identify yourself clearly to cold contacts. Respond Promptly.
Hello, I amThe reason I am writing Hello, so-in-so suggested I contact you Apologize if you dont. Interim reply when too busy.

Dont shoot the messenger.

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Attachments
Use sparingly. Cut and paste relevant parts of attachment into text of Email. Use URL links instead.
Upload attachments to website and cite URL. http://www.scribd.com/ is a free service.

Recipients who do not know you may be reluctant to open attachments or click URLs.
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Attachments (contd.)
Post attachment first to avoid Oops, heres the attachment. Trend is posting large attachments into blogs followed by Email announcement.
Gives people a chance to comment on attachment without a series of Reply All messages. Those interested can check comments or use RSS feed to be notified.

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Signature Line
Include (if you want people to contact you)
Your name Title Organization Email address (especially on listservs) Website Phones

Can be shortened for frequent correspondents or placed in header of Email stationery.

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Signature Line (contd.)

If you must include a quote in signature keep it short. This message is intended for
Clutters up Email. Often longer than message. Omit unless your company requires it.

Avoid vCards because some readers treat them as attachments.

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Style
Threads
Multiple replies can get out of hand, but continue them to maintain the tread. When they start to drift start a new thread with explanation. Formal vs. informal More common in chats and blogs, but still wrong.

Be true to venue. Dont Flame

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Style (contd.)
Forwarding stuff, e.g., chain letters
Avoid; annoys most people. Check address list before forwarding a Did you see this? - They may have received it. Use http://www.snopes.com/ to check urban legends. If you must forward, strip out addresses and use BCC to hide your address list.

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Style (contd.)
Do not overuse high priority option. Avoid delivery and read receipts. Do not ask to recall a message.
Just apologize and correct.

Do not copy a message or attachment without permission. Do not scoop someone elses message.

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Style (contd.)
Chill out!
Avoid sending a snarky reply to a pissy Email. Wait 24 hours. Write, but dont send. Dont reply at all and let them wonder. Offer to speak by phone or in person; Email is not a good tool for clearing the air.

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Style (contd.)
Chill out (contd.)
Leave no record of sensitive or emotional responses. Never say in Email what you wouldnt say in person or would not like to see in the press or defend in court. Once you hit Send you have lost control of the Email.
You can never be certain that it was erased from all locations. Think of all Email as Permanent.

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Confidentiality and Security

Dont assume privacy.
Unencrypted Email is not secure and may be monitored. Dont include in an unencrypted Email anything you would not want a third party to read. Details of encrypting and digitally signing Email is beyond the scope of this presentation. See Reference 14 for more detail.

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Confidentiality and Security (contd.)

Protecting attorney-client privilege
Email must be
A communication between attorney and client (person or corporation). The purpose of which is to seek or obtain

legal advice.

The communication is made to a lawyer acting in his/her capacity as a lawyer. The communication must be made and kept

in confidence.

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Confidentiality and Security (contd.)

Protecting attorney-client privilege (contd.)
1. Provide employee training and awareness. 2. Segregate legal advice from business advice Emails. 3. Mark Emails containing such communication. 4. Limit distribution. 5. Any disclosure, even accidental, may waive privilege. 6. Have document retention and legal hold policy.
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Confidentiality and Security (contd.)

Protecting yourself
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Have a separate free Email account for newsletters, white paper registration, etc. Delete browser history, cache, cookies, userids and passwords after using a public Internet connection. Logout and close all Apps after using a public Internet connection. (Restart if possible.) Dont conduct company business on nonsecure personal computer. Back up your Email.
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Confidentiality and Security (contd.)

Protecting yourself (contd.)
6. Beware of spam.
If it sounds too good, it is. Report it.

7. Beware of Phishing attacks.

8. Never include personal or financial info in an Email. 9. Dont unsubscribe from anything you did not subscribe to. 10. Beware of friends Emails.
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Forward them to customer service.

Confidentiality and Security (contd.)

Protecting yourself (contd.)

11. Install a good security suite on your personal computer.

12. Never share account info, even with family. 13. Use strong passwords.

Many ISPs, e.g., COMCAST, provide them free.

14. Encrypt wireless connections. 15. Use encryption and digital signatures for important Email.
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Encrypt them on a password protected thumb drive.

Managing Email
Organize Email into folders.
Use company file plan for in-house Email.

Keep a copy of all sent Email. Review and clean out folders periodically.
Good for rainy day or slow day at work. Comply with company retention schedule.

Dont print Email unless you need to refer to it remotely.

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Managing Email (contd.)

Declare Email bankruptcy
Inbox clogged with overdue responses. Send Email to all correspondents apologizing for not replying and asking them to resend important Email. Delete all old messages in Inbox. Then check your inboxes daily.

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Managing Email (contd.)

Use separate Email channels for separate communities:
Professional Business In-house Family and friends Hobbies and interests Listservs

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Managing Email (contd.)

Using web-based Email is the most flexible.
Hotmail, Gmail, AOL, Yahoo But, cant access old mail unless connected. Leave Email on server until you can download it to local storage.

Use out of office agent when away.

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References
1. Calvin Sun. 10 common e-mail habits that waste time and cause problems. [Online] July 2007. http://downloads.techrepublic.com.com/downloa d.aspx?docid=302381 Author unknown. Effective Email How to communicate powerfully by email. [Online] Downloaded November 2007. http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCom munication.htm Ellen Dowling, PhD. 10 Tips for Effective Email. [Online] Downloaded November 2007. http://www.mindtools.com/email.html

2.

3.

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References (contd.)
4. 5. Gene Wicker, Jr. E-Mail Etiquette. [Online] January 2005. http://iwillfollow.com/emailetiquette.pdf Jessica Bauer and Dennis G. Jerz. Writing Effective E-Mail: Top 10 Tips. [Online] August 2004. http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/etext/e-mail.htm Guy Kawasaki. The Effective Emailer. [Online] February 2006. http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2006/02/the_eff ective_e.html

6.

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References (contd.)
7. Amit Agarwal. Never Forget To Include Email Attachments. [Online] April 2007. http://labnol.blogspot.com/2007/04/neverforget-to-include-email.html Kirk Shinkle. Running an Office by Wiki and EMail. [Online] February 2008. http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/small -business-entrepreneurs/2008/02/28/runningan-office-by-wiki-and-e-mail.html

8.

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References (contd.)
9. Brenda R. Sharton and Gregory J. Lyons. The Risks of E-Mail Communication: A Guide to Protecting Privileged Electronic Communications. [Online] September 2007. http://www.abanet.org/buslaw/blt/2007-0910/lyons.shtml 10. Author unknown. The 25 Most Common Mistakes in Email Security. [Online] Downloaded March 2008. http://www.itsecurity.com/features/25common-email-security-mistakes-022807/ 11. Author unknown. Email etiquette. [Online] Downloaded March 2008. http://www.emailreplies.com/
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References (contd)
12. Jason Krause. Law Hacks: 101 tips, tricks and tools to make you a more productive, less stressed-out lawyer. [Online] July 2007. http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/law_hacks / 13. Jason Krause. Eek is for E-Mail: You can manage the mess of messagesbut first let go of the paper. [Online] May 2007. http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/eek_is_fo r_e_mail/ 14. David Beckman and David Hirsch. Thumb-Thing Good: For road warriors: trailer-size space in a finger-size trunk. [Online] May 2007. http://www.abajournal.com/magazine/thumb_th ing_good/
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References (contd.)
15. Tony Bradley. Why You Should Encrypt Your Email. [Online] Downloaded March 2007. http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/emailsecurity/ a/aa051004.htm 16. ARMA Intl Standards Committee. Working Collaboratively in an Electronic World. 2007 (available for download from ARMA Bookstore) 17. ARMA Intl Pamphlet. What Do I Do with All This e-Mail? [Online sample] 2007 http://www.arma.org/pdf/BKEmailHowTo.pdf 18. Author unknown. Citing Internet Resources. [Online] Downloaded March 2007. http://www.classroom.com/community/connecti on/howto/citeresources.jhtml
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Discussion
Questions and Comments?

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