USING EMAIL EFFECTIVELYIN WORKPLACE

FAHAD IQBAL

EMAIL• Stands for Electronic Mail

• Method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients

• An Internet email message consists of three components

• the message envelope• the message header (to, from,

date, Subject)• the message body (actual

information, data, pictures, documents etc)

ROLE OF EMAIL IN BUSINESS

Widely accepted by the business community as the first broad electronic communication medium

Pros:

• Provides a method of exchanging information between two or more people with no set-up costs

• That is generally far less expensive than a physical meeting or phone call

Cons

• Convenient availability of mailing lists and use of "copy all" can lead to people receiving unwanted or irrelevant information of no use to them.

Email has become the most widely used medium of communication within the business world

2010 study on workplace communication found 83% of U.S. knowledge workers felt email was critical to their success and productivity at work.

TERMS USEDFlaming:

• Flaming is hostile and insulting interaction between Internet users, often involving the use of profanity.

Email bankruptcy:

• When a user ignores a large number of email messages after falling behind in reading and answering them.

WAYS TO USE EMAIL EFFECTIVELY

Write a meaningful subject line.• Before hitting “send,” take a moment to

write a subject line that accurately describes the content, giving your reader a concrete reason to open your message.

• If your subject line is vague or if it’s blank — you have missed your first opportunity to inform or persuade your reader.

• A clear subject line will help a busy person to decide that your email is worthwhile.

WAYS TO USE EMAIL EFFECTIVELY

Subject: [Blank]

Subject: “Important! Read Immediately!!“

Subject: “Quick question.“

Subject: “Friday 10th tour, will we need a larger room?”

KEEP THE MESSAGE FOCUSED

• Often recipients only read partway through a long message, hit “reply” as soon as they have something to contribute,

• If your email contains multiple messages, you could number your points to ensure they are all read

• Write short paragraphs, separated by blank lines

AVOID SENDING UNNECESSARY ATTACHMENTS

• Rather than attaching a file that your reader will have to download, you will probably get faster results if you just copy-paste the most important part of the document into the body of your message

• Unnecessary attachments tend to annoy recipients and clog up inboxes

PROOFREAD• Take the time to make your

message look professional.

• If you are sending a message that will be read by someone higher up on the chain of command or if you’re about to mass-mail dozens or thousands of people, take an extra minute or two before you hit “send”

DON’T ASSUME PRIVACY

• Don’t send anything over email that you wouldn’t want posted with your name attached

• Email is not secure: a curious hacker, a malicious criminal, or the FBI can easily intercept your email.

DISTINGUISH BETWEEN FORMAL AND INFORMAL SITUATIONS

• When you are writing to a friend it is OK to use smileys, abbreviations and nonstandard punctuation and spelling

• Don’t use informal language when your reader expects a more formal approach

• Always know the situation, and write accordingly.

RESPOND PROMPTLY• Make yourself available to

your online correspondents

• Even your reply is, “Sorry, I’m too busy to help you now,” but at least your correspondent won’t be waiting in vain for your reply

KEEP YOUR EMAILS BRIEF

• It’s more difficult to read from a computer screen than from a printed document

• Use short paragraphs and bullet points to break up text and highlight key points

DON’T PASS ON JUNK MAIL

• Chain letters, emails promising good fortune or just plain old spam are unlikely to be welcomed

• It’s best just to delete such emails

USE A CLEAR, CONCISE EMAIL SIGNATURE

• Record your name, job title, company address, website and contact details at the bottom of your emails to look serious and professional

• Keep layout simple and don’t use fancy fonts, colors or graphics

STICK TO ONE TOPIC PER EMAIL

• If capital letters are used excessively then this is the email equivalent of shouting.

AVOID USING CAPITAL WORDS

MANAGING EMAILClear out your inbox

• Don't store emails in your inbox move them into folders

• A cluttered inbox risks items being overlooked, missed or forgotten

Avoid any folder becoming too large

• Large folders are difficult to manage and are slow to open

• Carry out regular housekeeping to remove messages which you no longer require

THANK YOU