9 tips for writing and sorting your email

Email is a great way to communicate to one individual, or a group of individuals.

Whether it be in your office, at home, or on the run, the use of email is a great, approach to help you solidify your message on an issue, topic, situation, transaction, circumstance, or endeavor.

Email is a means to further your thoughts and ideas.

Email, email… have you heard enough about email, recently?

What is it that is so overwhelming and cumbersome with email… keeping certain emails, deleting others, unsubscribing, subscribing, and creating folders?

Here are some tips to consider for writing, and managing your inventory of emails:

Writing:

1.      Only use the number of words you need to clearly communicate your message to your recipient(s).

Keep it short and to the point. The more you write, the more you have to remember what you wrote.

Tip: Say your email out loud a few times to hear it, if your environment allows for it. If the meaning is clear to your ears, that’s a good check on the clarity of what you’ve written.

2.      Use email to ask questions. Email is a great way to get definitive answers to questions you have, on any subject.

You can ask a question when making purchases (e.g. a car), applying to college (e.g. counselor), pursuing a job (e.g. human resources coordinator), and so much more.

If you have an email address, you can ask a question.

3.      If you don’t have to send your email right then and there, save it as a draft. It’s a great way to find out if what you wrote today, is definitely the same as what you want to convey, tomorrow.

4.      Put the email address in at the very end, after you are absolutely sure you are ready to send it.

Tip for saving it as a draft: You can put an email address in the “To:” category, but consider removing the “m” at the end of the “.com” within the email address; and when you are ready to send the email, put it back in as part of the “.com”. This tip is best applied when sending to one recipient, only.

Receiving and filing:

5.      Subscribe only to the email resources that will help you. Sign up for email newsletters, and other digital communications, only if you are going to reference it in the future.

6.      Unsubscribe from any list you have been put on, or signed up for and now are not going to use.

7.      Delete emails which will never, ever be needed.

8.      Save emails that matter. Those you will need and/or reference in the future. (E.g. related to transactions, informative/educational etc.)

9.      Keep your folder names to few letters, and organized. For example, keep all your folder names to 5 letters, at most.

If the folder is named for a person, determine that you will name them all by first name, or last name… and stick with it.

Important point on emails: your final thoughts on a topic, issue, matter will be conveyed through interpersonal interaction/verbal communication.

The use of email is a starting place, and a means to move an issue along, not a replacement to your rights as a person to have your final say on a matter verbally.

Whether you use your iPhone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer to send an email, give it some thought ahead of time, use the tips above.

Email can be a positive, constructive tool in your daily approach to communicating.