{"id":9622,"date":"2018-02-05T10:00:56","date_gmt":"2018-02-05T09:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/passodue.flywheelsites.com\/2018\/02\/05\/writing-effective-emails\/"},"modified":"2022-05-27T16:33:06","modified_gmt":"2022-05-27T14:33:06","slug":"writing-effective-emails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diariodiunconsulente.it\/en\/2018\/02\/05\/writing-effective-emails\/","title":{"rendered":"How to e-mail effectively by using your common sense"},"content":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Alice Alessandri<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

We send emails<\/strong> for just about anything nowadays, from the most pressing to the most futile message: we fix appointments, send quotes to customers, resolve complaints, organize events or invite a colleague for a coffee\u2026
\n<\/span>I am a keen supporter of advanced communication tools – I have a degree in computer science \u2013 but what I find inappropriate is the superficial and casual way we use them, without considering if we have selected the most effective technology for the goal we have set ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

– – –<\/strong>
\nBy hiding behind our screens and using the handy and fast expedient of e-mails, we run the risk of serious misunderstandings that could be avoided by simply picking up the phone.<\/em><\/span>
\n– – –<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

My mailbox<\/strong> (and undoubtedly yours too) is besieged daily by dozens of messages<\/strong> and most of these confirm the philosopher Popper\u2019s thesis that \u2018nothing is easier than difficult writing\u2019!<\/span> I often feel that my incoming emails were written by people who forgot that another person had to read and understand them. That is why I want to provide you with some tools, mainly dictated by common sense, to write e-mails<\/strong><\/a> effectively and use them to their full potential.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"scrivere-email-efficaci\"<\/p>\n

The recipient<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s start from the \u2018TO\u2019 box where we specify the primary recipient. Here you should address the person who is required to act directly on the content of your message.\u00a0 Generally, this will be a single individual, but where there are two or more recipients the text should clearly indicate who you expect to respond in order to avoid generating misunderstandings of the sort \u2018I thought you\u2019d do it\u2019. \u00a0\u00a0The Cc (Carbon copy) option should only be used to add people who need to be informed. Do not abuse this function to avoid your own responsibility by hiding behind the easy excuse of \u2018But I told him\/her!\u2019<\/span> Additionally, more than actually requiring confirmation, many people use the \u2018read receipt\u2019 function to cover their backs.\u00a0 It is often more effective to explicitly request an answer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Subject<\/span><\/h2>\n

– – –<\/strong>
\nThe first thing that the recipient will see is the subject and based on this they will decide if and when to read the message.<\/em><\/span>
\n– – –<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

It should, therefore, be short and sweet (maximum 6\/8 words) and anticipate the content in a precise, clear and concise manner. Remember that the \u2018subject\u2019 field also serves to correctly archive the correspondence. Punctuation and the use of capital letters or boldface serve to simulate rhythm, volume and tone of the message. Bear in mind that caps are difficult to read if used extensively and that netiquette dictates that ALL CAPS is the equivalent of yelling at someone.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"comunicare<\/p>\n

Photo by Pexel<\/span><\/p>\n

Content<\/span><\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s now turn our attention to the content. Just as we greet people when entering the office and say goodbye as we leave, so all your emails<\/strong> should start with a greeting,<\/span> \u2018Hi Anna\u2019, \u2018Good Morning Mr. Smith\u2019 as suitable to the formality of your relationship, and end politely \u2018best, thanks, see you soon, kind regards\u2019 and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n

– – –<\/strong>
\nEmails do not comply with the rules of the old \u2018business letter\u2019 so avoid using pompous forms such as \u2018I am hereby writing to you to\u2026\u2019.<\/em><\/span>
\n– – –<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Respect basic grammar rules and aim for plain English! Avoid using jargon, lingo or cryptic acronyms (e.g. IMO \u2013 in my opinion).<\/span> You must be sure that all content will be correctly understood by your interlocutor. The two keywords for writing any mail are brevity and clarity. But how do you combine the two? Firstly, by organizing the mail in 3 paragraphs:<\/span><\/p>\n