It\u2019s not just what you say but how you say it.<\/p>\n
In today\u2019s 24\/7 connected environment, the amount of information we\u2019re forced to process at any given point is higher than it\u2019s ever been. That\u2019s why it\u2019s more important now than ever to communicate effectively.<\/p>\n
For a great start, focus on your work emails first. Here are a few ways to write better emails.<\/p>\n
1. Make your subject line relevant.<\/b><\/p>\n
Creating a subject line that speaks to the content of the email is helpful for both the recipient and yourself. The recipient gets to have a bit of context right up front (if they see something like \u201cHi Michelle\u201d they might just ignore it or forget it even came through), but it will also help you as you search for relevant email strings later (having 100 emails that have a subject line of \u201cHi Michelle\u201d won\u2019t be very helpful).<\/p>\n
2. Make your ask up front.<\/b><\/p>\n
After starting with a warm greeting, be sure to get right to the point. Instead of explaining the details around your ask (i.e. \u2013 \u201cSo as you know we\u2019re working on x, x, and x. Last week we met with y and z. This week we\u2019re talking to a and b, yadda yadda yadda\u201d), get right to the point. Start your first paragraph with the actual ask (i.e. \u201cPlease review the attached document.\u201d or \u201cWould you be able to call in to the conference call tomorrow at 4PM?\u201d). You can offer context and details immediately after, but it\u2019s helpful for someone to know what you\u2019re asking right up front without having to dig through multiple paragraphs.<\/p>\n
3. Don\u2019t say \u201cWhenever works for you\u201d without providing some distinct time frame.<\/b><\/p>\n
You may think you\u2019re being kind, but you\u2019re actually just creating more work for the recipient by asking to meet or have a call \u201cwhenever works for you.\u201d Ask for specific time windows (i.e. \u2013 \u201cnext Monday or Tuesday after 11AM EST\u201d) so that someone can quickly check their calendar for those two dates in isolation. You\u2019re bound to get a faster response.<\/p>\n
Related: Am I Underpaid? How to Find Out and Fix It<\/a><\/em><\/b><\/p>\n 4. Use emojis sparingly.<\/b><\/p>\n A well-used emoji can be a bonus in an email, but an emoji after every sentence can read just plain annoying. Be smart about how many emojis you\u2019re using, and always keep things positive \u2013 no one wants to be on the receiving end of an angry face.<\/p>\n 5. Don\u2019t CC someone unless necessary.<\/b><\/p>\n We all get enough email. If your coworkers should know about a situation, it might be easier to forward them something directly than copy them into a long chain. Every situation is different; think about how you\u2019d prefer someone to inform you, and use your best judgment.<\/p>\n 6. Always include a phone number when arranging a call or meeting (or in your email signature, if you are comfortable with that).<\/b><\/p>\n One of the most frustrating situations is where you\u2019re about to hop on a call and realize you don\u2019t have someone\u2019s number. Make sure that in any discussion about setting up a meeting you provide your number early on. If you feel comfortable enough, it\u2019s probably easiest to include your phone number in your signature.<\/p>\n Related:\u00a0How to Prepare for Your Annual Review<\/a><\/em><\/b><\/p>\n 7. Don\u2019t be a robot.<\/b><\/p>\n Have some personality! Use an excited exclamation point or a smiley face here and there. Make someone laugh by referring to a happy moment or conversation you shared. Your email should make someone feel they *want* to respond, not *need* to respond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s not just what you say but how you say it. In today\u2019s 24\/7 connected environment, the amount of information we\u2019re forced to process at any given point is higher than it\u2019s ever been. That\u2019s why it\u2019s more important now than ever to communicate effectively. For a great start, focus on your work emails first. … Read full-story <\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4462,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,65],"tags":[190,56,191],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4458"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4461,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4458\/revisions\/4461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4462"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.comparably.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}