{"id":2208,"date":"2013-09-30T07:00:56","date_gmt":"2013-09-30T14:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/propelbusinessworks.com\/?p=2208"},"modified":"2019-06-15T17:36:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-16T00:36:31","slug":"9-tips-email-communication","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/propelbusinessworks.com\/promote\/business-communication-strategies\/9-tips-email-communication\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Tips for Better Email Communication"},"content":{"rendered":"

9 best practices for clear email communication<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Image<\/a>

Image courtesy of Pixabay<\/a> and Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Email communication is one of those necessary evils. Many of us hate to live with it, but we certainly can\u2019t live without it. Unfortunately, quite a bit of email communication leaves a lot to be desired. Miscommunication, offense, and wasted time describe many of the emails in our inboxes instead of information, courtesy, and efficiency. These 9 best practices will help your email communication be more efficient and clear, leaving less room for misinterpretation and confusion.<\/p>\n

1. Write a good subject line.<\/b>
\nThink of the subject as the \u201cheadline\u201d of your email. Make it a one-sentence synopsis that summarizes the content of the rest of your email. A subject line reading \u201cmeeting\u201d isn\u2019t nearly as good as \u201cMeeting with John Smith at 10am tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Specify the desired response to the email.<\/b>
\nMake it very clear what action you want the recipient to take. Closing an email with a simple \u201cthoughts?\u201d isn\u2019t likely to get the same response as \u201cwhat is your opinion about my point?\u201d Or, if there is no specific action, let the recipient know: \u201cI\u2019m sending you this for your information at this stage, and will let you know when further action is required.\u201d<\/p>\n

3. Use fewer words.<\/b>
\nTypically, address one thought or idea per email. And don\u2019t use two words when one will do. Over-communicating a point often ends up confusing the matter rather than clarifying it. Another practical way to help is by eliminating \u201cfiller\u201d words that don\u2019t actually need to be there. Once you\u2019ve written an email, read back through it and pare down your words and delete unnecessary or repetitive sentences.<\/p>\n

4. Clarify the purpose of longer emails.<\/b>
\nSometimes, longer emails covering multiple topics are inevitable. When this is the case, make your intentions clear at the beginning by letting the reader know ahead of time what you want from them: \u201cI\u2019m sending you this information and want your input about the three ideas I list below in relation to our sales this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

5. Pay attention to formatting.<\/b>
\nLong blocks of unbroken text are hard to read and often skimmed. Make your emails \u2013 especially longer ones \u2013 more readable by formatting text. Keep paragraphs 2-3 sentences long, and utilize bullet points to call out important information. Sometimes, especially in longer emails, using a bold text for section titles can help.<\/p>\n

6. Proof read what you wrote.<\/b>
\nThis goes without saying, but is often so overlooked. It\u2019s easy to type a quick email and hit \u201csend\u201d without taking the time to make sure the basics of spelling and grammar are correct.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n

7. Be wary of BCC\u2019s and CC\u2019s.
\n<\/b>This point goes back to over-communication often muddying the waters instead of providing clarity. Copying people on emails without specifically telling them why<\/i> they\u2019ve been included in the communication is often frustrating. Only include others in email communication when it\u2019s absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n

8. Read between the lines to hear your tone.
\n<\/b>It\u2019s said that voice and tone accounts for 38% of communication. That\u2019s a large percentage of communication going unsaid in emails, and leaves a wide margin for misunderstanding. As part of proofing your emails, take time to put yourself in the recipients shoes and \u201chear\u201d the tone of voice they may read in between the lines of what you wrote.<\/p>\n

9. Know when to take the conversation off email.
\n<\/b>Email is an imperfect form of communication, and at times will lead to misunderstanding and offense. When this happens, trying to remedy the miscommunication or apologize for the hurt by email will likely only dig your hole deeper. In the event of communication breakdown, take the time to pick up the phone to clear the air.<\/p>\n

While following these 9 email communication tips might take more time, in the end they will help you communicate more clearly and efficiently. Spending time on the front end strategizing your communication will ultimately cut down on the amount of back-and-forth follow-up emails, saving everyone time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

9 best practices for clear email communication Email communication is one of those necessary evils. Many of us hate to live with it, but we certainly can\u2019t live without it. Unfortunately, quite a bit of email communication leaves a lot to be desired. Miscommunication, offense, and wasted time describe many of the emails in our…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3077,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[385,419,418,421,420],"yoast_head":"\n9 Tips for Better Email Communication - Propel Businessworks<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"While following these 9 email communication tips might take more time, in the end they will help you communicate more clearly and efficiently.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/propelbusinessworks.com\/promote\/business-communication-strategies\/9-tips-email-communication\/\" 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