Top Rules for an Effective Email Communication

Email is one of today’s most widely employed means of communication. Whether for personal or business purposes, email is extensively used throughout every day activities, its speed and reliability making it the communication channel of choice for millions of people worldwide. Figures on email usage are impressive, and growing, as reported by major technology research companies.

According to Email Marketing Reports¹, The Radicati Group² estimates 1.2 billion email users worldwide in 2007. Figures are expected to reach up to 1.6 billion by 2011, as stated in a report issued by the company in October, 2007. In a previous study, dated October 2006, Radicati also estimated that approximately 183 billion emails were sent each day in 2006 and that wireless email users would grow "from 14 million in 2006 up to 228 million in 2010". For the business environment, Ferris Research³ estimated the number of business email users at around 780 million in 2007.

Email communication is certainly popular, but what are rules and guidelines bringing the best of it?

The Guide of Smart Email Writing 1. Keep it short and simple - use brief and clear sentences to make your point. You do not want the person receiving your email to get lost in a bunch of stories, or stuck in that half page phrase that you started your email with. A clear and short email will also result in a short and clear reply.

2. Stick to one topic, if possible – approaching one subject per email would be ideal, but if several issues need to be discussed, then break your text into paragraphs to differentiate them,

Remember that long email you received in the last minute at work? With countless replies and forwards, going back and forth from your manager to several colleagues and departments, and then back to you? How long did it take you to read all the stories in the email and digg in after some reply you may have missed? And some piece of information that would have helped you put all the things together so much faster?

3. A relevant subject line - the subject of your email message will help your addressee to faster identify your email message and assert its importance, thus giving it the proper priority. Do not mislead the receiver of your email. Write now “Urgent, expecting your reply” for an internal survey regarding the lunch at the company’s cafeteria, and you may be waiting for long next time you actually need to communicate something fast. Like in the story with the boy who cried wolf4..

4. Generally avoid using: abbreviations, acronyms, slang. Also, do not use ALL CAPS. With email, as other online communication channels, this is generally understood as shouting at the other person. QUICKLY, HOW MUCH DO YOU ENJOY READING THIS?

5. Emoticons: some say their use should be encouraged, especially when emailing friends or other familiar people, given the fact their use can relax the communication and establish the friendly tone one could express by voice or non-verbal communication in a face-to-face discussion. In the business environment, though, the use of emoticons is a big No-No.

6. Always be polite – do not be afraid to use "Please" and "Thank you". These are the magic words in email communication as well. Also, do avoid irony and jokes, or any offensive comments, especially at the office. One can use a firm tone, but be polite at the same time. Remember, you may never know when your email gets in the wrong hands, or just other people in your company, with a simple push of the "Forward" button.

7. Double-check those names and positions - of the people you are sending the email to, or mentioning in the email. Mistaking them may prove a lack of attention or research on your part, and, let’s face it, you would not like your name to be misspelled either. Also, pay attention to titles. Salutation is very important (Dear Dr, Roberts, Dear Reverend, Dear Sirs etc).

8. Check your email regularly – nobody expects a reply on the spot, but an acknowledgement that you have received the email and that you will reply it as soon as possible generally helps better than leaving the other person in the mist. You would also want to know when to expect a reply, correct? So you can take care of your other tasks until receiving the information you need. Good organization is the key to an effective day at the office.

9. Carefully read the emails you are receiving and replying to - you don’t want to misunderstand any of what had been written, nor leave the most important issue out of your reply. It may be annoying to read a 4 page email, but if this is the case, then you need to do it. Otherwise, you will just trigger another series of emails on the matter: nothing solved, but lost time.

10. When being asked one or more questions - answer them all, or say when you will get back with the information you are missing at that moment.If you do not have that specific piece of information, then say who has it. Otherwise, the receiver of your email will just ask you the question again. A fast reply from your part will generally help you clear your image.