Rachel Green is a professional speaker and trainer in the area of communication and

interpersonal skills. She also publishes a regular e-mail newsletter about

communication issues. Her most recent issue is about writing e-mail effectively. I
liked it so much that I asked Rachel for permission to share it with you, and she
readily agreed. So here's the article in full. If you like it as much as I did, you'll find
subscription information at the end.

Writing Effective Emails

Email is becoming an increasingly dominant form of communication, both at work and

at home. However, many of us have never had any training in its use and so here are
some tips on writing clear emails that people will want to read.

1. Give a pertinent subject line.

Make it easy for your reader to see what your email correspondence relates to. Many
people fail to update their subject line and so mislead the receiver. We have, for
instance, people who've forgotten to update the subject line for 8 or 9 months, so
that in the end their subject line bears no relation to the message content. It's
important to realise some people trash their emails simply on reading the subject
line. So keep it up-to-date and make it specific. If you really want people to read your
emails - make it interesting.

2. Use upper and lower case letters.

Did you know that writing in upper case letters in email is considered by many to be
the equivalent of shouting? We still have people writing to us completely in upper
case. We also have people writing their subject line in upper case - sure we see it,
but we have the same response we'd have if someone screamed at us.

Also, upper and lower case letters are useful because the brain uses the patterns that
the letters in a word make to recognise the word. Upper and lower case letters in
their normal disposition are therefore easier for the brain to process than all upper
case letters. (abnOrmAL dISpOsiTION iS Not eAsy tO reaD iS It?)

3. Personalise the communication.

If you met someone in the street you'd address them by name. If you sent someone
a letter by snail mail you'd address them by name. Doing the same via email can
leave a good impression. When someone writes to us and simply says, "Rachel" we
write back, "Derek". If they say, "Hi Rachel", we say "Hi Derek". If they write, "Dear
Rachel", we write, "Dear Derek."

Communication often, (but not always), works best when you match your style to
theirs. However, if someone writes and doesn't address us by name at all (except in
the address), we still use their name. Personalising communication only takes a
moment and shows the other person you are speaking directly and specifically to
them.

4. Make up for the missing non-verbals.

Several essential ingredients of communication are missing in email; these are the
body language, the voice, and the facial expressions of the writer/speaker. Because
this information is missing it is very easy to have an email taken the wrong way.
What may be written as a "joke" may be perceived as an insult because the reader
can't see the smile on your face. What may be written as a straightforward
explanation may be considered patronising because the voice inflection which would,
in face-to-face conversation, differentiate the two, is missing. Therefore, explain
yourself more in an email rather than less. Explain the context of your thinking,
mention your mood and fill in the missing details to reduce your chances of being
misunderstood.

5. Acknowledge receipt of emails.

It doesn't take long to write back to someone and say, "Thanks" for an email. It can
help the person at the other end simply because they know you've received it. If they
don't hear back from you for some time they're not left wondering whether you
received it or not. Emails do go missing - let people know you've got theirs -
especially if they've gone to a lot of trouble to send you information, submit an
application or proposal, or send a complaint or inquiry.

Because people are having a number of difficulties getting their message across
successfully in emails - writing effective emails is now part of our "Be Clear - Be
Confident - Be Heard" course. If you write emails, or memos or letters or want to
express yourself clearly in speech, then this course is vital! The next one is in Perth,
Western Australia, on Tuesday, 31st August 1999. Book Now! $189, 9.00 am - 4.00
pm.

Other courses being held in Perth soon are:

"How not To Take Things Personally" If you find you're taking other people's
comments personally, this course looks at ways to stop getting hurt or upset. The
next one is on Tuesday, 17th August 1999. There are only 2 places left on this
course.

"Being Taken Seriously: Communication Skills for Women" is on Monday, 13th

September 1999.

Advanced Notice

A Midlife Retreat will be held on the weekend of the 5th, 6th and 7th November,
1999. The cost is $245. This includes all meals (Friday night to Sunday afternoon tea
inclusive), accommodation for two nights, special guest presenters, a full weekend of
workshops and time for personal reflection.
Bookings can be made direct through the website: http://www.rachelgreen.com
under Bookings; email: rachel@rachelgreen.com; phone (+61 8) 9390 1188; fax
(+61 8) 9390 1199 or mail: PO Box 82, GOSNELLS Western Australia 6990, Australia.

Final Tip

We've been surprised by the increase in abusive mail we receive through email. It is
obvious people write and send without taking a breather. The tip is - if you're in a
bad mood don't press send. Wait for an hour or even 12 hours and reread it before
deciding to send.

Finally, remember you're writing to a person not a computer - speak to them through
your email.

Happy writing.

Rachel

P.S. I'm still dreaming of doubling the number of people who gain from the
newsletter - so if you know of anyone who'd like this free information - please pass it
onto them. Thanks a lot.

More of Rachel's Reflections are available here:

http://www.rachelgreen.com/reflections.html

And if you would like to be automatically kept up to date on our courses please email
us at: info@rachelgreen.com