How many emails do you receive that get you wondering, “What’s wrong with her today?” And how often do the recipients of your emails think that about your messaging?
Receiving thoughtless emails can ruin the day and they happen more than we think. (Our egos get in the way of realizing that our email isn’t delightful to read!)
What causes people to get the most frustrated? According to a recent Myers Briggs study:
•Failure to respond
•Too many “Reply Alls”
•Messages that are confusing or vague
•Emails that are too long
•Too many emails sent from the same person.
Beyond basic email etiquette, what can you do to craft an emotionally intelligent email to get best results? Create emotionally intelligent messaging.
Here are 9 important tips:
1.Create a positive impression. Email either creates a positive or a negative impression.Write to help your reader want to read your message. Present your message in the most positive and respectful way possible.
2.Consider the other person’s personality. One client of mine sends me 2 – 5 word responses 99% of the time. When I get more than that, I’m sure he thinks he is writing War and Peace. So when I write back to him, I keep my message as brief as possible. But I still honor my brand and I still keep it positive. Don’t get sucked in but don’t ignore their preferences.
3.Show respect. This means use good grammar. Take the time to honor your recipient by writing an email that they can read and understand while they are on the move. Poor grammar and punctuation causes confusion and gives them more work to figure out your content and intent.
4.Respond in a timely way even if all you can say is< "Thanks! I'll get back to you on this by Friday. Please let me know if it's more urgent to you." 5.Think before the click! Does everyone need to be included in the reply to all? Really?
6.Reread your message. If you can’t stand to reread it because it’s too long or complicated, don’t bother sending it. They won’t read it either.
7.Eliminate the stuff they won’t read. Keep it as concise as possible.
8. Be purposeful. Know what you want to achieve before you start writing so you don’t have to send follow-up emails or play the time-sucking game of email ping-pong.
9. Be polite. Open with with a hello (Hi, Good morning, etc) and close politely (I use Warmest regards). Set the tone for a friendly communication.
What other tips would you suggest?
