HOW TO WRITEGOODER AND NOT SUCK AT

EMAILcreating a company we love. one email at a time.

9 email etiquette rules every team member should follow_

Include a clear, direct subject line_

Examples of a good subject line include “Meeting date changed,” “Quick question about your presentation,” or “Suggestions for the proposal.”

People often decide whether to open an email based on the subject line so choose one that lets readers know you are addressing their concerns on business issues.

Please leave all marketing subject lines to the marketing team ;)

no subject line….what is this

all about?

clear subject lines help

when searching for

docs

Use a professional email address_

Always use your africafunders.comemail address for work communication and do notsend inappropriate, vulgar or chain mail emails using your work account.

Remember, when you use your work email you are representing our organization, therefore everything you say affects your professional standing.

Think twice before hitting‘reply all’_

No one wants to read emails from 20 people that have nothing to do with them.

Refrain from hitting ‘reply all’ unless you really think everyone on the list needs to receive the email.

Classic example: gym reminders and announcements from various departments

does everyone on this list need to know this?

Include a signatureblock_

Always use your africafunders.com email signature so your reader can contact youdirectly if the need arises.

If you use the Gmail portal to send emails make sure you click on “best fit” right under your signature image so you never, ever send an email with a giant signature.

hit that!

Use professionalsalutations_

Don’t use laid-back, colloquial expressions like, “Hey you guys,” “Yo,” or “Hi folks.”

Always use Hi or Hello to be on the safe side and never shorten a person’s name unless you are certain they prefer to be called by a short name. Say “Hi Michael,” unless you are certain he prefers to be called “Mike.”

please & kindly go a long way

always sign off with regards

hit the enter bar twice

short paragraphs withspacing every two sentences goes a long way! think about the reader

Use the ‘one-thing’ rule_

Emails are not the same as business meetings. With business meetings, the more agenda items you work through, the more productive the meeting.

With emails, the opposite is true. The less you include in your emails, the better.

That's why it's a good idea to practice the "one thing" rule. Make each email you send about one thing only. If you need to communicate about another project, write another email.

Proofreadevery message_

Your mistakes won’t go unnoticed by the recipients of your email, and depending upon therecipient you may be judged for making them.

Don’t rely on spell-check. Read and reread your email a few times, preferably aloud, before sending it off.

Be cautiouswith humour_

Humour can easily be lost in translation without the right tone or facial expressions. In a professional exchange, it’s better to leave homour out of emails unless you know the recipient well.

Something perceived as funny when spoken may come across very differently when written. When in doubt, leave it out.

Keep tabs on your tone_

Just as jokes get lost in translation, tone is easy to misconstrue without the context you’d get from vocal cues and facial expressions.

It’s easy to come off as more abrupt than you might have intended. You meant “straightforward”; they read “angry and curt.”

To avoid misunderstandings, read your email out loud before hitting send. If it sounds harsh to you, it would be harsh to the reader.

happy emailing_