by Laura Rahn

Created on: April 19, 2010

Email is an easy to use business tool that, when used effectively, can prove invaluable for both individual employees and organizations.  The most effective emails are focused, to-the-point, and leave no question as to the email’s purpose. The recipient shouldn’t have to (and doesn’t want to) spend more time than necessary determining the email’s intent and takeaway message.

Before you start writing the body of your email, take some time to think about and take advantage of the top three fields on your “new message” window: "To," "Cc," and "Subject."

"To"/"Cc"
Email overload and inundation is a common workplace problem, so try to stick to sending emails (even ccs) to only those whom the message affects directly. A good rule of thumb is: don’t send an email if you wouldn’t send a paper copy.

Try to keep people who have an important takeaway task in the “To” field and leave the “Cc” field for people from whom you don’t need an action or response, but are still on a “need-to-know basis.”

"Subject"
Put some thought into your “Subject” (and never leave it blank). It should be as specific as possible. This helps readers up front by telling them at a glance what the message is about, and it also saves recipients time on the back end by saving them from having to search through dozens of emails simply titled, “Updates.”

Body
The body of your email should be focused and to-the-point. Ideally, it should be as short and simple as possible while conveying the necessary information. If your email ends up taking more than a few paragraphs, people are, at best going to start skimming and, at worst, stop reading. Break your paragraphs up into easy-to-read chunks, group all related information, and be specific. Vague instructions and responses often result in unnecessary back-and-forth.

If you have sent your email to several people and you want certain individuals to respond or take action, spell out who needs to do what. A good trick is to highlight the person’s name within the body of the email. This will help people who are skimming and will also leave no ambiguity about expected follow-up action. When the recipient is done reading, he/she should have no question as to the email’s purpose and what action (if any) he/she needs to take in response.

It never hurts to include a brief summary at the end of your message to reiterate key takeaway points.

As you’re writing, always keep in mind that, although informal, email is still a form of business communication. Try to avoid slang and “texting” jargon. You can match your formality to your company’s tone, keeping in mind it’s better to be safe than sorry—and more formal than necessary.

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