By Team Approachjob, Bangalore

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9 common
e-mail habits that waste time
and cause problems
1. Vague or nonexistent subject line.
2. Changing the topic without changing
the subject.
3. Including multiple subjects in one
note.
4. Sending before thinking.

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9 habits contd.

5. Inadvertent replying to all.

6. Omitting the context of a reply.
7. Misaddressed recipients.
8. Displaying addresses of recipients
who are strangers to each other.
9. Replying vs. forwarding.

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Agenda
1. Addressing
2. Subject Line
3. Message Text
4. Signature Line
5. Attachments
6. Style
7. Confidentiality and Security
8. Managing Email
9. References
10. Discussion

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Addressing
Limit to who really needs to know.
Make it clear in text who has action and
who is info addressee.
Use BCC to protect Email addresses
unless everyone knows each other.
Watch Reply All.

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Addressing (contd.)

Use address book with mail groups &

validate often.
Avoid typing addresses free hand; many
addresses are similar; watch auto fill.
Send same message to multiple recipients
by editing message as new or cutting and
pasting.

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Addressing (contd.)
Make sure forward does not embarrass
sender.
Get permission if in doubt.
Never diss sender in forward or reply.
Fill in addresses last to avoid sending
an incomplete Email by mistake.

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Subject Line
Headline (think newspaper).
Grab Attention.
Summarize message.

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Rate These Subject Lines
1. Subject: Important! Read
Immediately!!
2. Subject: Meeting
3. Subject: Follow-up About Meeting
4. Subject: Announcement
5. Subject: Do we need a larger room for
Social meeting on May 14?

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Message Text
Keep the message focused and readable.
Keep it short.
Use inverted pyramid (newspaper).
Break into paragraphs; skip lines between.
Use short sentences and active voice.
Use plain text editor, not MS Word.
Avoid HTML.
Avoid fancy typefaces.

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Message Text (contd.)

Write in standard professional English

with Capitalization and correct spelling.
Dont try to impress.
Avoid chat speak, e.g., CUL8R & emoticons, .
Dont type in All Caps like yelling.
Avoid using URGENT and IMPORTANT.
Use * * to highlight text if you must.
Proofread & spell check.

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Message Text (contd.)
Quote back selectively when replying to
long messages.
Yes, I agree. is useless without context.
Top quote vs. bottom quote no consensus.
Avoid Fisking, replying line by line in an
argumentative manner.
For URL links use SNIPURL to shorten
long URLs or enclose in < >.
Free service http://snipurl.com/

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Message Text (contd.)
Identify yourself clearly to cold contacts.
Hello, I amThe reason I am writing
Hello, so-in-so suggested I contact you
Respond Promptly.
Apologize if you dont.
Interim reply when too busy.
Dont shoot the messenger.

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Attachments

Use sparingly.
Cut and paste relevant parts of attachment
into text of Email.
Use URL links instead.
Upload attachments to website and cite URL.
Recipients who do not know you may be
reluctant to open attachments or click URLs.

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Attachments (contd.)
Post attachment first to avoid Oops,
heres the attachment.
Trend is posting large attachments into
blogs followed by Email announcement.
Gives people a chance to comment on
attachment without a series of Reply All
messages.
Those interested can check comments or
use RSS feed to be notified.

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Signature Line
Include (if you want people to contact you)
Your name
Title
Organization
Email address (especially on listservs)
Website
Phones
Can be shortened for frequent
correspondents or placed in header of
Email stationery.

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Signature Line (contd.)
If you must include a quote in signature
keep it short.
This message is intended for
Clutters up Email.
Often longer than message.
Omit unless your company requires it.
Avoid vCards because some readers
treat them as attachments.

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Style
Threads
Multiple replies can get out of hand, but
continue them to maintain the tread.
When they start to drift start a new thread
with explanation.
Be true to venue.
Formal vs. informal
Dont Flame
More common in chats and blogs, but still
wrong.

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Style (contd.)

Forwarding stuff, e.g., chain letters

Avoid; annoys most people.
Check address list before forwarding a Did you
see this? - They may have received it.
If you must forward, strip out addresses and
use BCC to hide your address list.

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Style (contd.)
Do not overuse high priority option.
Avoid delivery and read receipts.
Do not ask to recall a message.
Just apologize and correct.
Do not copy a message or attachment
without permission.
Do not scoop someone elses message.

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Style (contd.)
Chill out!
Avoid sending a snarky reply to a pissy
Email.
Wait 24 hours.
Write, but dont send.
Dont reply at all and let them wonder.
Offer to speak by phone or in person; Email
is not a good tool for clearing the air.

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Style (contd.)
Chill out (contd.)
Leave no record of sensitive or emotional
responses.
Never say in Email what you wouldnt say
in person or would not like to see in the
press or defend in court.
Once you hit Send you have lost control of
the Email.
You can never be certain that it was erased
from all locations. Think of all Email as
Permanent.

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 Confidentiality and Security

Dont assume privacy.

Unencrypted Email is not secure and may be
monitored.
Dont include in an unencrypted Email
anything you would not want a third party to
read.
Details of encrypting and digitally signing
Email is beyond the scope of this presentation.

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Confidentiality and Security
(contd.)
Protecting yourself
1. Have a separate free Email account for
newsletters, white paper registration, etc.
2. Delete browser history, cache, cookies, userids
and passwords after using a public Internet
connection.
3. Logout and close all Apps after using a public
Internet connection. (Restart if possible.)
4. Dont conduct company business on non-
secure personal computer.
5. Back up your Email.

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Confidentiality and Security
(contd.)
Protecting yourself (contd.)
6. Beware of spam.
If it sounds too good, it is.
Report it.
7. Beware of Phishing attacks.
Forward them to customer service.
8. Never include personal or financial info in an
Email.
9. Dont unsubscribe from anything you did not
subscribe to.
10. Beware of friends Emails.

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Confidentiality and Security
(contd.)
Protecting yourself (contd.)
11. Install a good security suite on your personal
computer.
Many ISPs, e.g., COMCAST, provide them free.
12. Never share account info, even with family.
13. Use strong passwords.
Encrypt them on a password protected thumb drive.
14. Encrypt wireless connections.
15. Use encryption and digital signatures for
important Email.

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Managing Email
Organize Email into folders.
Use company file plan for in-house Email.
Keep a copy of all sent Email.
Review and clean out folders periodically.
Good for rainy day or slow day at work.
Comply with company retention schedule.
Dont print Email unless you need to refer
to it remotely.

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Managing Email (contd.)
Declare Email bankruptcy
Inbox clogged with overdue responses.
Send Email to all correspondents
apologizing for not replying and asking
them to resend important Email.
Delete all old messages in Inbox.
Then check your inboxes daily.

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Managing Email (contd.)
Use separate Email channels for
separate communities:
Professional
Business
In-house
Family and friends
Hobbies and interests
Listservs

Use out of office agent when away.

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Discussion

Questions and Comments?

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