If you are just joining this article series, here is a quick recap. Email has become a common form of communication in recent years, but so much of it is misunderstood that there are more communication issues with this form than there are with all the other forms put together. So much of how we communicate face-to-face is received through body language, facial expression and tone of voice. This is all lost in an email where we have to rely only on the words we choose. So far I shared about the importance of choosing a good email address, your subject line and given you some tips for a more effective body of text in two parts. Today I'd like...
So far, I've talked about the importance of choosing a good email address, your subject line and given you some tips for a more effective body of text. Here are the last five tips to help you form a more effective body of email. 6. Check spelling and grammar This section may not be as critical when you are emailing a friend, but if even when emailing your best friend, spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes can result in miscommunication and hurt feelings: “Ill meet you at 7 am not coming at 8” Does she mean she’s meeting me at 7am because she is not coming at 8am or does she mean she’s ill and not coming at 8am but will...
Several recent studies show that email is deceptively more difficult that most people are aware. Research reveals that 78% of people believe they are clearly communicating and 89% of receivers believe they are correctly interpreting an email. However, the unfortunate reality is that the receiver correctly interprets an email message only 56% of the time! Why the discrepancy? Email is devoid of body language, facial expressions, vocal inflection, gestures, and other nonverbal cues which make up 93% of face-to-face communication! Though an email is easy and convenient to write, we often forget that the other person may not interpret what we type the way we meant it especially since the only things the receiver can use to interpret our email...
On Monday, I began a new seven part series on effective email with an in depth look at choosing our email address wisely. Today I continue the series with a look at the subject line. Your Subject Line Make sure your subject line is reflective of what you are going to say in the body of your email. If it sounds too much like spam, it will be deleted by the owner who things it IS spam. If it is blank, it may be deleted because it looks like spam. I get a lot of spam with nothing in the subject line. Another issue may be that the recipient may not realize this email is from YOU. I sometimes receive...
