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Companies – both large and small – rely on email as a convenient communication tool to connect with colleagues and customers. With hundreds of messages landing in our inboxes each day, we could easily spend hours upon hours managing our email accounts. It is estimated that 40% of our work day is spent on e-mail. (1) A third of this time could be wasted trying to manage an overwhelming amount of information as well as deciphering cryptic emails. To ensure that your emails are not jeopardizing productivity, remember the A, B, C’s of writing effective emails. A = Begin your email with an action statement in the subject line. We often manage our inbox by subject lines. For example, “Submit meeting agenda items by 5 p.m. Tuesday” B = The body of an email should include sufficient background
information. Provide information in an easy-to-read format: C = The closing should provide clear instructions of what you want your reader to do. It’s also a good practice to use automatic full signature with your contact information. Emails can lead to misunderstandings because they don’t permit body language, verbal inflections, and non-verbal feedback that is present with face-to-face conversations. Even though emails are a more casual way to communicate with customers and colleagues, they require the same amount of professionalism as formal pen and paper correspondence. A good rule of thumb: don’t email anything you wouldn’t want your grandmother to read or to appear on the front page of the newspaper. Laurie Gungel (1) Song, M. (2007). The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your Email Before It Manages You. San Franscisco: Berrett-Koehler. BI Solutions is a monthly e-newsletter designed to inform you of emerging business trends and help you be more successful in the workplace. Please let us know what you think by sending a note to BusinessInstitute@highland.edu Please
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