4) Keep it short.
Email isn’t for writing essays, blog posts, or full length articles. People are busy and don’t have time to read your long message, so keep it short and to the point. Probably a third of my email messages are all in the “Subject” line. Also, email templates are a lifesaver for those times when you get a number of similar requests. Just pre-write them and grab them when needed.
5) Remember how you respond to other people’s email, shapes their attitude about communicating with you.
For instance, if you always respond immediately, people will assume you’ll always respond immediately. Email isn’t designed to be instant communication so don’t set up that expectation with your clients, customers, or co-workers or it will bite you later.
Email can be a frustrating pain, but when it comes to dealing with clients, my team, and others, it doesn’t interrupt me, allows me to respond when I want, and makes life a lot easier. So until something better comes up, I’m still a fan.
What are the most productive email techniques you’ve discovered?
This article on how not to hate email originally appeared here, and is used by permission.
