Effective Email
Communications
The number of email sent far exceeds the amount of physical mail sent every year. However, reading or sifting through email that is irrelevant to the reader costs individuals and companies millions every year. Even email that the reader wants can waste time if is ineffective. Effective email communication is an important and simple way to save time and money.
Length
Email communications should be as short as possible because many people tend to skim when reading online. Use attachments for longer communication.
Editing
Email is permantant and should be considered a written letter. Looking more carefully at emails and editing what has been written at least once helps cut down on confusing messages.
Timing
Because email can be sent so quickly, it's easy to respond in haste. Waiting for at least fifteen minutes before sending an email is a good rule for preventing mistakes.
Spacing
Spreading out a message into paragraphs and adding spaces between paragraphs keeps readers from feeling fatigued when reading.
Frequency
Frivolous emails should be avoided. Emails should only be sent for things that have some level of importance to all parties who will read it. The more email that is sent by one person, the less it will be viewed as important.
