Choosing email

When we work with emails it becomes all too easy to default to this communication channel, but it is not always the best choice. Aside from the fact that different people respond better to different types of communication, there’s the very obvious consideration of junking someone’s inbox. If you are the most commonly seen sender, you may be left unread.

Take things back to basics and ask yourself these questions:

• Does what you have to say need to be written in an email?
  Sometimes you need to document discussions or crucial moments. Not everything needs an email.

• Is an email going to be the most effective way to deliver the message?
  This is all about the receiver. What works better for them? If the receiver is better with face-to-face, go see them, or have a call.

• Is a response necessary?
  Try to limit responding to only when it is either requested or required. No one needs yet another email agreeing, if the decision has already been made.

The To field

The golden rule here is to be discerning. Only include people who really need to be included. Far too many people add the world and their dog… all to the ‘To’ field.

To: the person or people who either need to action or respond to your message.

CC: the people who need to follow the thread or need this information, and do not need to take any action. If they do not need to know then leave them out.

BCC: the person or people who need to see this, but this is hidden from the other recipients of the message. Reserve this for the most serious of issues.

Your Subject

As a PA I have worked with people who write the most infuriating subject lines but, when they are the client, I like to forgive them. Subject lines such as ‘hello,’ or ‘a request’ especially when used on a not infrequent basis make it almost impossible to search historical threads on a topic. Let alone give no clue as to the importance or urgency of the message.

To be kind, either to your colleagues, someone else’s PA or to your own PA, follow these basic principles:

• Make it specific and unique

• Make it concise

• Only use acronyms that are widely used

• Keep your subject line conventions consistent.
  It helps people navigate and file. This especially useful when administrating a regular series of internal meetings.

An example: GB agenda 24.3.25

Salutations, titles and names

Salutations:

Whether it is ‘hello’ or ‘dear’, this is an absolute must. Starting an email with just someone’s name or worse, just the content is one of the fastest ways to cause offense. It screams of disrespect, and a sense of entitlement. And it happens more often than you might think.

Starting an email without a salutation is the equivalent of snapping your fingers at the wait-staff. If you want good service, don’t do it.

Titles and names:

It has become very normal to drop the gendered titles (Mr, Mrs & Ms) on email communication. Other titles such as Professor, Dr, Sir or Dame, should be used on the first correspondence at the very least. I would take a cue from the tone of the reply as to what to use with any replies. Always use the name that they provide and take a judgement call on the title for subsequent emails.

The main event

Emails are so often misread. They are read in a rush and without the tone of voice or the many other cues given in a face-to-face exchange; they easily come off as cold and abrupt. If they are also written in a rush with a whole host of assumptions on how it will be read, it can easily go wrong. Simple habits when writing emails pay huge dividends.

Open:

A short friendly sentence to open the communication which shows good intent, or at the very least, respect. This can be formal or more informal for example: ‘I am contacting you in reference to the X project,’ or ‘I hope that you are well.’

The ask:

The ordering of your message is where the magic happens. The 101 of email order is to have your request within the first couple of sentences of the email. The recipient needs to know why they are reading this. Give it to them straight. Politely, but straight.

Context:

You can offer further context after ‘The ask,’ but make this concise. Give enough detail for the task and leave out anything that is not essential for its completion. If they proceed with the task, they can come back to you with a request or questions. Also, assuming what information they will need can waste everyone’s time.

If you’re request is in the middle of your beautifully written email-novel, don’t be surprised if you don’t get what you asked for. No one has time to enjoy a novel during a workday.

Close:

Finish off with a repetition of ‘The ask’ in short form, and if relevant add a deadline. It is essential to thank in advance. Some people believe that when the task is an implicit responsibility of the role, that ‘thanks’ is dangerous. This could not be further from the reality. In fact, the opposite is true and has no relation to thanking people when they go above and beyond the job role. Show gratitude not only because it is still someone’s choice whether they fulfil their responsibilities, but also because it shows respect and appreciation for the time, skill and experience that they are lending to you in completing the task. When this gratitude is authentic, it has the very valuable effect of building stronger relationships. And yes, people can tell.

Sign-offs and signature blocks

Sign-off:

Less contentious than the salutation, a great tool to seal the deal and full of hidden meanings. Use this space to emphasise gratitude, imply the hierarchy of the relationship or show a loss of favour. Here’s an insight into the hidden implications of some of the most common business sign-offs in the UK.

• Thanks

Implies a hierarchy here, the person saying thanks is being polite and ultimately the receiver is expected to act. Likely an employer/ employee relationship. If used in other business contexts, this could be taken as rude.

• Many thanks

Implies gratitude. Likely to be external relationships. This could also be used between employee and employer.

• Best wishes

Where a relationship has been developed and is quite close. There is a familiarity here. This is not appropriate unless there has been a softening in the relationship.

• Kind regards

A formal or legal communication. Especially where distance is required for the professional relationship. If there is a switch from using an informal sign-off to this, then it is most likely a sign that the relationship has been badly damaged.

• Regards

A formal sign-off where this is no relationship between the two individuals. Rarely used. If this is sent from a client, the relationship has been damaged so badly that it will be difficult to come back from. Using it with anyone who isn’t a distant and legal contact also sends this signal.

Signature block:

Use your full signature block on your first message and reduce to text only for replies. The images do not need to be sent for every reply. This is a minor point but will add polish to your email communication.

I hope that you found this helpful

See you next time.