Do You Really Need to Send This Email?
How do you avoid getting your email to your manager lost in cyberspace?
If you are working remotely and need to get a message out about what is happening on your end, how do you make sure you get your point across? Fortunately, there are tips out there to help you out, so you don’t get lost in the email jungle.
“You don’t want to stand out for the wrong reason by sending a bad email,” said Alan Hubbard, NTI’s Chief Operations Officer. “People receive a lot of emails in a day and you want to make sure you are being read.”
There is nothing worse than hitting the send button and realizing the wrong person is about to get your message and read it. Make sure you have the right address on the top of the email and address the person properly. You should also include a tagline, so the receiver knows what it is about. Don’t overuse the subject line, “important,” unless it really is necessary.
- Keep it brief and to the point
An email isn’t an essay, so don’t ramble on. Remember the email is to address one point and to be done quickly, so the receiver knows what you want or need from them. Make sure you double-check your spelling, so there is no confusion in what you are trying to say. Industrial Solutions suggests remembering “the one thing rule” for sending an email.
- What you say and how you say it is key
When you are writing an email, please make sure your tone doesn’t come across as pushy or demanding. Remember the person receiving the email can’t see your face. They don’t know whether you are mad or making a joke out of something. Emoticons should stay in personal emails, and not professional ones, according to Salesforce. They also suggest not using acronyms either and making sure you spell things out.
- Why am I’m writing this email anyway?
That’s a question you should ask yourself before you click on your email. Can I make a quick phone call here? At LandAjob, we have a rule that Microsoft teams is on when you are at your desk. This cuts down on the emails flying back and forth. Besides, you don’t want to be known as the serial emailer in the company.
- Make sure you end your email properly
A polite closing statement is suggested by Instructional Solutions to end the email. They suggested using “Thank you for your time,” or “I look forward to your response” or “kind regards.”
“You need to make sure you don’t use all CAPS,” said Hubbard. “Remember no one wants to be yelled at, even in an email.”
(Michael S. Hardman is the media relations specialist for NTI. Americans with disabilities can receive job training and job placement services for free by registering at www.ntiathome.org.)
“You don’t want to stand out for the wrong reason by sending a bad email. People receive a lot of emails in a day, and you want to make sure you are being read...”