Good Vs. Bad E-mails: Photo Examples

This is an excellent example of a good and a bad e-mail. The first e-mail displays a direct and relevant subject line, includes a formal introduction and closing, and it has a formal and direct tone. All of these aspects really contrast how great this e-mail is compared to the second e-mail which includes the exact opposite traits.

How to Communicate Successfully Using E-mail: Video

Here's another quick video you should check out if you want excellent customer service tips to use when communicating through e-mail.

E-mail Communication in the Work Place: Video

Here's a quick video on how to communicate using e-mail in the work place!

How Do Client's React to E-mails

“The customer always come first”. That’s what every employee’s mindset is expected to be, and for a good cause. Clients are the heart and soul of every single company. They are essentially the reason why our jobs exist. it’s always best to be professional and straightforward when communicating with these people who have such a great impact on your career. Here are a few steps to consider when e-mailing clients.

1.       Use the subject line wisely. If you want to catch the attention of your client, create a short subject line that will mean something to them. You can include “URGENT” the title, but unless it really is an urgent matter it isn’t recommended since the client might think you’re wasting their time.

2.       Keep the e-mail short. Keeping the e-mail short ensures that only the important details are included and it will also keep the readers attention. No one wants to read a novel when they open an e-mail. Another tip is to use bullets to highlight important points.

3.       Never respond after hours. Unless the client makes it clear that they want to communicate with you after hours, most clients don’t want to deal with business affairs at home. It’s also not recommended to communicate with clients after hours because once a client knows that you’re available 24/7 they will take advantage of it. Once you clock out, you clock out (Hanson, 2014).

Overall, these points are very important when communicating with clients. Always keep them in mind so that you can put your best foot forward!

References

Hanson, A. (2014). 6 Golden Rules to Responding to Client E-mails. Retrieved from Communications Conversations: http://www.arikhanson.com/2014/08/27/6-golden-rules-to-responding-to-client-emails/

Why Grammar is Important in E-mails

When creating an e-mail, whether it's being sent to a friend or a colleague, it is always important to display proper grammar. Not only does it show professionalism but it shows organization, thoughtfulness, and intellect. Here are my reasons why grammar is important in creating e-mails.

First thing’s first: greetings. Greetings in an e-mail are essentially first impressions. They set the tone for the rest of the e-mail and help the reader to determine what kind of message you are trying to portray. By greeting with a quick friendly message such as, “Dear Mr./Mrs. Jones”, “To Whom it May Concern”, “Mr./Mrs. Jones” it shows professionalism and good grammar skills. Next, for the body of the paragraph, it’s always important to include proper capitalization, indentation, and other grammar tools. Another important factor with grammar is proper wording. Re-reading your body paragraph could make or break your chances at being professional with your writing. For instance, a good example of a bad sentence could be a comma splice, “Alex broke his toe, he shouted in pain”. One way to fix this is to add a period, “Alex broke his toe. He shouted in pain”. For the closing sentence, it’s always best to keep it short and sweet. Professional and common closing sentences include, “Best regards”, “Sincerely”, or “Hope to hear from you” (Woods, 2010). 

References

Woods, G. (2010). Using Good Grammar in E-mails. Retrieved from For Dummies: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/using-good-grammar-in-emails.html

What Makes a Bad E-mail

Are you bad at writing e-mails?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. In contrast to my other blog post, “How to Create a Good E-mail”, I will be highlighting what you’re doing wrong in your e-mails.

1.       You never have a CC or a subject line. This makes it difficult for the recipient to filter out bad spam or e-mails without significance. With all the e-mails that employers and employees receive, they probably won’t even open your e-mail if it doesn’t seem relevant to their day-to-day tasks.

2.       Your e-mail is difficult to understand. When the recipient doesn’t understand what your message is or why your e-mail was even sent to them, then you have a problem. People don’t want to read a novel when they open an e-mail but they also don’t want to only read one sentence. There is a healthy medium that should give them enough information without hurting their brain. A quick e-mail between 50-150 words should be enough to get your message across.

3.       You use slang or informal language. Not everyone knows how to use slang or how to speak appropriately use informal language in the workplace and some people might even take offense to it. When writing an e-mail, it is expected for employees to communicate the same way that they would in the workplace. Formal language is an appropriate way of speaking in an e-mail, especially to a superior, in order not to offend anyone. Most of the time, formal language makes it easier to get your message across as well since everyone in the workplace understands it (Lombardo, 2009).

References

Baer, J. (2015). 15 E-mail Statistics That are Shaping the Future. Retrieved from Convince and Convert: http://www.convinceandconvert.com/convince-convert/15-email-statistics-that-are-shaping-the-future/

Lombardo, J. (2009). Writing Effective Emails in the Workplace: Formality, Content, Language, and Format. Retrieved from Study.com: http://study.com/academy/lesson/writing-effective-emails-in-the-workplace-formality-content-language-and-format.html

  

What kind of an e-mailer are YOU?

Take my quiz to see what kind of an e-mail sender you are! Are you good or bad?https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WPJW5ZH

How to Create a Good E-mail

Technology in the workplace has evolved so much over the past decade. Companies have their own Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube accounts. One thing that hasn’t changed much is e-mails. E-mails have been used significantly in the workplace since the late 90s (Kokemuller, 2008). Even though e-mails are so prominent and widely used, some employees still don’t understand how to communicate effectively through e-mail. If you think you might need to improve your e-mail skills, then just keep reading.

To begin, an e-mail is a form of communication so it should be treated like any other form of communication. It takes time to formulate your thoughts and communicate your message effectively. Try to spend at least 15 minutes creating your e-mail, look it over, and make sure the recipient knows what your message is. Next, make sure your e-mail has a beginning, middle, and end. I can’t stress enough how important it is for e-mails or any other form of communication to have structure. In one of my previous posts (linked here: http://goodvsbademails.blogspot.ca/2016/03/checklist-for-professional-e-mail.html) I explain how to properly structure an e-mail from beginning to end.

To conclude, e-mails can be a deal breaker in the corporate world. Through displaying clear ideas and having structure in your e-mail, your personal image in the workplace can be improved immensely. It’s up to you whether you reach for success or not.  

References

Greenawald, E. (2013, Nov 19). An Editor's Guide to Writing Ridiculously Good Emails. Retrieved from Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2013/11/19/an-editors-guide-to-writing-ridiculously-good-emails/2/#4c8fdafe6726

Kokemuller, N. (2008). The Impact of Email in the Wrokplace. Retrieved from Chron: http://work.chron.com/impact-email-workplace-7915.html

Checklist for a Professional E-Mail

Subject Line

-Summarize the central idea (Guffey, 2013, 2010). Keeping the message short and sweet ensures that it will keep the attention of the reader. Using abbreviations, such as FYI (for your information), can also help to keep a message short.

-Avoid one-word subject lines. One-word subject lines are ineffective when communicating with a colleague, a short phrase creates context for the recipient of the e-mail. 

Opening

-State the purpose for writing. Expand on the information from the subject line. Briefly explain what topics you will be touching on in your e-mail.

-Address questions. If you are sending a request e-mail, begin with the most important question and ensure you use courteous and polite wording. If you are responding to a request, give the recipient the information they need in the opening and elaborate in the body of the e-mail.

Body

-Explain details. Display information logically and for more detailed topics, organize information in separate coherent paragraphs.

-Enhance readability. Use short sentences, paragraphs, and similar construction for similar ideas.

-Be organized. Utilise bulleted or numbered lists, columns, tables, or other graphs to improve readability and highlight important points.

Closing

-Request action. State what you want the recipient to do if appropriate. Include a deadline with reasons if possible.

-Provide a positive statement or a closing thought (Guffey, 2013, 2010). When communicating within or outside of the company, always include a positive statement especially when improvement or criticism is required.  

-End with polite departing words. Make a good lasting impression with words of endearment, thank them for their time or wish them well. 

References

Guffey, M. E. (2013, 2010). Checklist. In M. E. Guffey, Business Communication: Process and Product, Fourth Brief Canadian Edition (p. 153). Toronto: Nelson Education Ltd. .