I don’t know why, but many email missteps are in my inbox each morning. Is it because folks are not awake yet? Or maybe they are in a rush?
So, I thought I would share them with you as a gentle reminder that these little things can enhance (or hinder) your communications while helping build relationships and clarity.
Annoying Morning Email Missteps
No greeting. How about saying “Hi, Judith” or “Howdy!” before you ramble off your demands or questions?
Even adding a little “Hope you are doing well!” or “How have you been?” or “I hear your weather has been crazy!” contributes to you not appearing overly self-involved. Closings are part of relationship building.
Please don’t open a previous email from me, hit reply, and include a set of unrelated questions to the old email Subject Field. Add me to your address book so that you can start a new email with a subject appropriate to the new topic. And please edit out or delete my old email reply text that doesn’t apply. Don’t include the entire old email with nothing to do with what you are now typing about.
Saying “thank you” or “appreciate your help” after 4-5 questions in a row would be a nice touch.
Before sending 15 PDF attachments or humongous image files, email me first or call to ask when would be a good time to send them (or even if I need or want them) before you send them without notice.
When the questions you are asking were answered in a previous email, do not get offended if I ask if you received that email. I want to be sure you are receiving my communications.
Proper sentence structure and grammar go a long way to being taken seriously and understanding your intent or request with less back and forth. This also helps to avoid misunderstandings. Be clear in your communications; you will be taken at your word. “I didn’t mean that” doesn’t apply to the written word. You type it; you had better mean it.
What is the most frustrating thing about your morning email experience? I know there is probably more than one, but let’s nail it down to the most annoying thing. I’ll take note and consider your input for future posts.
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