To write an effective email you must make sure that email is used for the right purpose. You must be sure that the literature in the email can be read without being heard. This is important because verbal cues associated with face to face communication can not be interpreted through email. It is not appropriate for sensitive, emotionally rich conversation, it is composed of gathered thoughts. It is also less efficient than verbal communication. An example of an effective email used for the correct context is writing to inform an clothing company that your items were incorrect and requesting a full return or compensation. In that email there is no feelings, or reason for face to face or verbal contact as it can be describe in it entirety in words.
To write and effective email you must ensure the ease of reading the email. Its much like a chapter book, if the book is easy to read, than it will be read in its entirety but if it is difficult to read than the reader may discard it after a few pages. You want your readers to read you message from start to finish and so you must include: a pleasant opening, references and details, proper spacing, a pleasant closing and a professional closing. These key details will allow your email to be easily read. An example of an effective email with ease of being read is a email you receive from your professor. It is properly space, it includes a heading and closing, and is straight and to the point on material.
To write an effective email you need to show respect for others time. You can achieve this by selecting message recipients carefully, provide timelines and options, be careful using the priority flag, and let others know when you will be longer than expected. These measures if taken will keep the reader and writer at ease throughout the discussion. An example of writing and effective email showing respect to others time would be such as my Realtor writing me a timeline of due dates for paperwork, closing information and dates, and a specified response time . She is allowing me time to work on accomplishing the goals within a time frame, there is no priority flag, and she is only writing to myself as it concerns no one else.
Writing ineffective emails is easy to do as we all get caught up in the virtual world. I have observed people writing emails out of format and without the proper contact information to continue communication with. This makes the ease of reading incredibly hard. Without including a proper signature the reader my have to do some digging if they need to contact you further. I have seen this first hand in the world of banking. If a teller makes a mistake and writes in an email to contact you regarding there mistake it is hard to contact them by phone if their signature does not include their direct line.
Writing ineffective emails is easy to do as we all get caught up in the virtual world. I have observed people writing emails full of anger and rage. Just because you don’t want to say it face to face doesn’t mean it should be typed out. Once you hit send you can not get your word back or attempt to act like you never meant harm by sending the email because their is proof. I am guilty of doing this myself and will serve as the example. It is always better to keep emotions undocumented.
Writing ineffective emails is easy to do as we all get caught up in the virtual world. I have observed people writing emails to groups of people to whom it did not concern. No one like to be apart of a chain unless its necessary. As an example in banking we would receive incentives and if you hit your mark you were on a list and they sent that list to everyone. The lending part of banking could care less. If it doesn’t pertain to a specific person take them out of the equation.
Effective and Ineffective Emails 