Writing More Effective Email

February 19, 2008 · Comments

mailboxesCommunicating via email isn’t hard. Doing it well is what’s difficult. I receive between 200-400 emails a day, several of which require me to take some action. While there are plenty of posts out there on which software is the best, how to empty your inbox, and how not to check it at all, there probably needs to be a few more posts on how to WRITE better emails. In all cases, these apply to more of your professional emails than correspondence with your cousin, although don’t be so quick to dismiss sending better emails to friends and relatives, too.

The Subject Line

The subject line of an email is the first chance you have to tell me why you need my attention. Lots of people waste the subject line. They put “hi” or “Meeting tomorrow” or “an idea for you.” None of these are useful enough. You have approximately 25 words to use to convey the payload of the info. The first 10 count even more. Try something like one of these:

  • DECISION NEEDED: Picking the corporate logo today
  • SCHEDULING: Check Tuesday, Wednesday, or Friday
  • PROMOTION HELP: Looking for some blog and Twitter love
  • [chrisbrogan.com] seems offline. You might want to check.
  • MICROSOFT DEAL: Should we take it? (from JYang@yahoo.com)

In these cases, I’ve ALL-CAPPED the major point or action required, and given you a sense of what you’re going to do next for me. It’s prepping you for what comes next. Just like scary music in a movie means the killer is in the closet, you know what’s coming next, and so you mentally prepare for it.

Main Points at the Top

Unlike writing a novel, where you build up to the important stuff, most emails would be better if you put the main points up at the very top, the way newspaper stories are written. Start with the lead, and then flesh out the details, as need be. This way, someone who’s busy gets the main thing you’re telling them or asking them right away up front. Some examples:

  • We’re going ahead with the deal. To close it, I’ll need you to gather three years of financials, and have them ready by Friday.
  • I’m looking to meet with you while you’re in town. I’m available at the following times.
  • My new social media site about dogs launches tomorrow, and I’m looking for some blog love.
  • I’ve got a client who wants to launch a social media strategy. Can you fly to Phoenix for a Thursday meeting?

In those examples, I understand that an action is requested, and I even understand what comes next in all cases without reading much more. The supporting info is great, but I can guess most of what’s necessary right there. One line in, and I’ve got the gist.

(Believe me, LOTS of email comes with a novel I have to read to get to the part where someone asks what they need from me.)

Closing the Loops

We leave open loops in email all the time: places that can revolve back and forth in email circles for five or seven spins. For example, try to plan a lunch with seven coworkers. If you have eight restaurants, it will take something like 30 emails if people follow the average paths. Too many open-ended questions, and too much up-in-the-air to nail down. Look at these two examples:

Open Loop: Let’s get together for lunch. What day is good? Where do you want to go? Should we invite other departments or keep it a team meeting?

Closed Loop: Let’s get together for lunch. I’m thinking Thursday at 11:30 (to avoid the rush) at Lemon Tree. Let’s keep it just a team lunch this time, but maybe next time, we’ll invite others. Work for you?

The differences are obvious. Know why people don’t send the closed loop type email? They’re worried that they seem bossy. Here’s the truth: most times, most people don’t really care about the details. If you recommend, it will come out quickly that Surendra is off Thursday so Wednesday is better, and Melissa is allergic to seafood, etc. Closing the loops early helps everyone.

Just so I’m clear: closed loop email means to me that you’ve taken back-and-forth cycles out of the process.

Email vs. Phone

There are times when email isn’t the right medium for the job. I’m not a very big phone fan, but sometimes, when I see email go into a circle, or when I can’t understand someone’s tone very well (people can get really angry-sounding in email very fast), I’ll grab for the phone. Sometimes, a fast back-and-forth gets things out of the way easier than trying to clarify and nit pick.

Most of the time, email is a faster medium for me, but don’t forget to pick up the phone.

Things NOT to Say in Email

We tend to think that pressing delete removes the email from the universe. If you work in a publicly traded company (at least in the US), your email is more than likely archived the moment it crosses the server. Meaning, every single character you’ve ever typed out to someone, and anything that’s ever come into your account has been stored and archived by your corporate IT department. Think web-based email is safe from such prying? Not so.

With that in mind, think about all the things you maybe wouldn’t want to have come up in an investigation, even by accident. Think of how you talk about your customers. Think about what you’ve said personally to friends, lovers, and enemies.

Think about that with regards to everything you put down in email.

Finally, a Little Clip

I thought I’d put up a little visual aid using Jing and Screencast.com, who graciously provided me with a big account to try out the service more.

Link to the video is here. (It was too wide for my site).

Your Ideas

Have you written about writing more effective email? Do you have tips and advice to share? Let’s add that to the comments, too. Making a good resource for email writing would be useful to folks, so if you’ve got great advice, please share.

Photo credit, FotoDawg

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  • I am in the same boat with the deluge. It really comes down to valuing other people's time, and making sure you are clear in your message.
  • Bob
    Amen Chris, the amount of time that is wasted in my office while others try to figure out the action required from the email is immense. The same goes with meetings in my office. Most people only put a vague subject line without an agenda or letting me know what is required from me when I step in the room. In the end we send 10x the number of correspondence needed and 20x the amount of time on a project.

    There has to be a smarter way. Wouldn't it be awesome if there was an email client in which you could assign an action to a person? The actions could fall into some sort of to-do list. Or if the email client was smart enough to lead the person to the most effective email.

    Great piece, I'm going to implement the subject line idea into my work environment.

    ~bob
  • Hi Chris,

    We think alike. I have had my share of bosses and as soon as I move to their fiefdom I train them on my email subject lines.
    ACT : need an answer ASAP
    ARTICLE INFO: Something that I saw online read at your leisure.
    INFO : CCing you on something that u have a choice to read or ignore
    BREAKING NEWS: All hell is breaking loose we need to talk
    JOKE: Sending you a PJ please do not read in a meeting.

    Usually ACT and Joke gets me the quickest response :)

    Cheers !

    Shashi
    ( PS: I can only hope my bosses don't read the comments . Well if they do they can pormote me for efficiency and thinking outside the box)
  • I would like every email to include the writer's phone number so I can easily call when I don't understand something. A street address for businesses is nice.

    My general rule is stop emailing after the third exchange and pick a different mode of communication - call, walk over, or ...

    The other advice I share in my Using Email Effectively classes/lectures: what if this email ended up on the front page of my local newspaper? Would I write differently? Would I write it dow?
  • Chris, great post-- and if I may, much of this is what I did say-- or ought to have said-- after my "Email is dead" rant back on Thanksgiving. Excellent summing-up.
  • NO ACTION REQUIRED: Love this post; thank you!
  • I'm just surprised you didn't mention cc:
    My major hatred is those who issue enormous cc lists as CYA fare.
    Two managers I know automatically mark as read and file anything that's cc'd to them.
    "If they wanted me to read it, they should have sent it TO me . They know if they did send it TO me, I'd say 'Why did you send this to me?'"
  • Chris,

    This is really excellent advice--and I hope to comment on it on my blog soon. Since you requested, here's an article I wrote recently about how to CANCEL AND RESCHEDULE via email, it discusses both etiquette (like you) as well as the specific points to include:

    How to cancel or respond to cancellations via email

    Thanks again for such a helpful article!
  • I think a key thing to bear in mind is Voice. email works well when it's 'you' talking to 'me'. I don;t mean forced informality, let alone fake personality. I mean talk to me in words as you would in real life. Direct, clear and human. It doesn;t take the place of the document you want me to comment on or decision you want me to make, it frames it within the discourse of relationships - which is at the heart of the conversation economy.
  • What a great post - we all have issues with email! The only other thing that I recommend when it comes to email is that if you are using outlook or any program that auto-completes emails, to always double check who you are sending the email to. You don't want to end up being this guy. Thanks again for the wonderful post and great advice!
  • KUDOS: this post is clear, timely and helpful

    Need I say more?
    Yes.
    Thanks, Chris

    @MCWFlint re: #7, like the phone number idea!
  • Thanks Chris! I had this type of post on my todo list, because so many people forget to put a useful subject in emails to me. It really annoys me...

    Thanks for the great post :)
  • This is great, Chris - I needed a boost to do exactly this. With my boss I've started to put the major point in the subject line when it's important - this system looks so much more professional and as Geoff commented, places value on peoples time.
  • I've always stuck with the 5 sentence rule in e-mail: keep it to 5 sentences or less. But it's interesting, I've never thought of utilizing the subject line.

    It seems like this would go really well with the thought of writing the subject line last. By the end of your e-mail you know the goal... put it in the subject.

    Great post!
  • I used to be one of those people who came into companies and taught people how to use their new email clients. My basic guidelines were simple:

    1. Don't put it in an email if you'd be embarassed if your mother read it.

    2. Don't put it in an email if you wouldn't want your boss reading it.

    3. Don't put it in an email if you wouldn't want it shared with the public (because it very well could be one day!).

    I'd also suggest brevity, it works. Try it.

    I think it is important to read your email carefully before sending it. Not just for typos etc. but to check how you're coming across. You certainly wouldn't want to be misunderstood.

    Use cc's and bcc's appropriately for the sake of everyone's sanity.

    Finally, don't email someone a few steps away from you unless it HAS to be in writing. That's just silly and a huge waste of time and enery.
  • I used to be one of those people who came into companies and taught people how to use their new email clients. My basic guidelines were simple:

    1. Don't put it in an email if you'd be embarrassed if your mother read it.

    2. Don't put it in an email if you wouldn't want your boss reading it.

    3. Don't put it in an email if you wouldn't want it shared with the public (because it very well could be one day!).

    I'd also suggest brevity, it works. Try it.

    I think it is important to read your email carefully before sending it. Not just for typos etc. but to check how you're coming across. You certainly wouldn't want to be misunderstood.

    Use cc's and bcc's appropriately for the sake of everyone's sanity.

    Finally, don't email someone a few steps away from you unless it HAS to be in writing. That's just silly and a huge waste of time and energy.
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  • Divya Sinwer
    It was a concise and useful article posted by you, covering all the aspects of business communication.
    Reminding about being monitored while sending mails was an important point.

    thanks !
  • A very little thing, but i like to think it helps: i put our company name (bragster) in brackets somewhere in the subject line of my emails to clients, to make it more recognisable, and easier to find by search.
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