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Most of us use e-mail as our prime mode of communication these days. Our inboxes are filled with incoming messages and we struggle all day long to try to respond to them. Most of the time we manage to muddle through quite all right, but then, there are those days when things seem to go excruciatingly wrong.
How many times have you looked at a sent message and realized you made some pretty basic spelling or grammatical mistakes? What about those times when the e-mail got sent even before you had a chance to complete it – giving the recipient half a message? And we all know, and have experienced the horror of sending a message to the wrong person – especially when it is the very person we’re talking about in the mail!
So, what can we do to make sure these silly mistakes and regrettable slip-ups do not occur – at least not as often as they usually do? Here are 10 tips to get you started:
Error Free mails:
Most e-mail software have a spell check and we all usually have it enabled. But every time it pops up to point out a mistake, we hit the “Cancel” button and send the e-mail as is. Resist the temptation to skip the spelling and grammar check, even if it’s an internal e-mail or just a short note to a colleague or friend. When you get into the habit of scanning for mistakes, you will never send a message without reading it first.
Getting the Recipient’s Attention:
No matter how short or basic the message, we all want our mails to be read. One of the most frustrating answers in the Universe is “Oh, I didn’t read that mail!” So how do you ensure that your messages are always read? Simple – modify the Subject line. Even if you’re replying to a continuing thread of messages, add a few words at the start of the subject line to grab everyone’s attention. When sending mails to a group of recipients, use the subject line to mention the names of those who should definitely be reading it. Mark the mail as high or low priority – and save the high priority mark only for special circumstances (otherwise it’ll be the Cry Wolf story and no one will pay attention).
Mails ending up in SPAM folders?
Urge your clients and colleagues to add your name to their address book - this is the best way to make it into the inbox and stay away from the Spam folder. Using the subject line judiciously is another good idea. And, when writing to someone for the first time, do mention their name, company name or think of a relevant subject line before sending off your message.
Sending half-finished mails:
While you wouldn’t hit the “Send” button when your message is not complete, sometimes computers take it upon themselves to wreck your day and send the message anyway. The best way to prevent this from happening is to never insert the recipient’s e-mail id in the “to” field until you’re done writing the message. Take your time to write the body of the mail, then fill the To, CC and BCC fields.
Of course, if you’re hitting “Reply” to a message, you may not be able to do this. But when it comes to important messages being sent to the people that matter, it is wise to take this precaution.
Sending mails to the Wrong or Unintended recipient:
That last suggestion, of inserting the recipient’s e-mail address last will ensure this does not happen. Another way to avoid this problem is simply making it a habit to check, re-check and re-re-check before you hit “Send”. And a third, sure-fire way is to be more aware of who not to include, rather than who to include in your mailing.
Sending angry e-mails that you later regret:
This has happened to us all – you get an e-mail from someone and react to it by immediately dashing off a response. Later, when you read the sent message, you regret it all. E-mails are impersonal and cannot convey your tone. Sometimes jokes or general kidding around is taken seriously. The best way to avoid sending angry mails that may ruin relationships is to write out your mail and save it as a draft. Come back to the draft after a while – say after lunch or a short walk – and read it again. You will be in a much better position to edit it or temper it down so that your feelings are expressed without hurting anyone.
Sending huge e-mail threads:
We often tend to reply to one e-mail and the thread grows longer and longer. If you’re discussing the same topic, do continue. But the minute the topic changes or the thread of mails below yours become irrelevant to your message, delete that thread and start a new one. Your colleagues and clients will thank you for helping keep their inboxes lighter. Not to mention, you will get more attention because your mails will be to the point.
Sending mixed messages/long tales?
At Chillibreeze, we communicate with clients from around the world. As we’re all well aware, each country and region has it’s own way of using the same language and English lends itself to multiple meanings. What is the best way to send an e-mail that will not give the wrong impression – keep it simple.
Write short sentences. Make sure you use correct punctuation. Change your spell-check preferences based on who you are writing to (US English for Americans, UK for Europeans…and for Indians? That’s a whole different article!).
Don’t go into long-winded explanations. Just say what you want, mean what you say and if there is any doubt in your mind about how the mail is going to be interpreted – be open about that too.
Sending e-mails that cannot be opened?
If your recipients have been complaining that your mails cannot be opened or open up to show a garbled set of characters, take a look at your settings. Make sure your signature isn’t too fancy or heavy on graphics. If you’re sending an attachment, zip it before sending or use one of those File Transfer sites to send large files. Try not to use unusual fonts – your recipient’s computer may not support them. Don’t use Outlook stationary for daily e-mails – keep that for special occasions like Birthdays and announcements.
Sending cryptic e-mails:
While your friend wouldn’t mind getting a chatty mail with a whole lot of “how r u”s and “aint that gr8”s, a client would not want to wade through the lingo to get to the meaning. Keep the abbreviations and text messaging short-forms for friends and write straight, simple, short sentences. Forget the smilies too – they may be cute and all that, but they don’t always come across properly and make your mails seem childish or informal.
Stick to these rules and take some of these suggestions to heart and watch as your email communication becomes more quick, to-the-point and effective.
Chillibreeze's disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article.
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—About our writer:
Radhika says, "Being a Gemini, I have always led a dual life...a BA in English Literature, Post-grad in Mass Comm, training in TV, jobs for software companies and magazines...it's a long trail of both the roads taken. The one constant in my life is writing. I write everything - poems, limericks and rhymes; essays, stories, articles, features, reports, children's stories, technical manuals...as long as words are involved, I am happy."
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