10 Best Practices: Approaching Your Emails with Moderation
Whenever I get asked career advice from students or recent graduates, one piece of insight I always offer is to never underestimate the power of a well-written (or poorly written) email, regardless of your profession.
Something as simple as a well-crafted email can get your foot in the door for whatever you are trying to accomplish.
It’s your ticket to impress the HR manager or gatekeeper at your dream job opportunity.
It can attract a target reporter’s interest and land a feature story for your organization.
It can keep projects moving by clearly communicating expectations and deadlines.
It can open the door to new relationships that will help advance your career.
On the other hand, a poorly written email can damage your trust, credibility or reputation if not executed properly.
It can send your resume to the hiring manager’s discard stack.
It can put your name on a journalists’ blacklist when it’s obvious you didn’t take the time to tailor your pitch.
It can cause confusion about team roles, responsibilities and timelines on projects.
It can jeopardize your relationship with a supervisor, client or potential mentor.
But there’s no need to panic. As a public relations manager, I send hundreds of emails a week and have seen my fair share of the good, bad and ugly when it comes to email etiquette. Since emails are often our first chance to make a positive professional impression, we need to make every message count.
Many of us are familiar with the common saying “everything in moderation.” I recommend taking this approach when crafting emails – from the tone, length and formatting to the recipients you include to the materials you share.
Here are 10 best practices to package your emails with clarity and intention.
Personalize. One of my biggest pet peeves is receiving an email when it’s obvious the sender substituted my name or company into the highlighted placeholder of the same email sent to similar contacts. Whether you’re pitching a journalist, reaching out to a potential mentor, or attempting to secure a new business pitch, take the time to research your subject and personalize your message as much as possible. What common interests do you share? Did they recently achieve a personal or professional milestone where you can congratulate them? However you decide to tailor your email, it’s a few extra minutes you won’t regret spending.
Keep It Cool. An old friend and Peritus mentor once said, “You’re only allowed to use three exclamation points throughout your career – use them wisely.” While it’s great to display enthusiasm for your work, remember to balance your excitement with professionalism by using exclamation marks and all caps sparingly. Good news – we’ll give you more than three strikes.
Strategize Your Subject Line. It’s called a subject line for a reason. You should reserve this limited space for the topic of your email. Why would you give away all your secrets upfront? Since most readers view emails from their smart phone, I suggest short subject lines in title case to make the best case for an open.
Avoid Formatting Faux Pas. The art of the email involves breaking down substantial information into bite-size messages with clear takeaways. How do you do this effectively? It’s all in the formatting.
There’s nothing worse than opening an email filled with bulky novel-style writing. Instead, use short paragraphs or bullet points to break up information. If you have a specific ask or call-to-action, make it clear by bolding or underlining at the end of the email. Examples might include “Can I meet you for coffee next Thursday at 10:30?” or “Please send me your feedback by EOD tomorrow.”Find Your Own Style. For students or young professionals, it usually takes time to find the sweet spot. They often come across as overly professional or too casual until gaining more confidence in their role and developing their own communication style. Just because your boss uses “warmest regards” or “best” in their email signature doesn’t you mean you need to follow suit. Alternatively, your email style may evolve into a more casual tone as you develop deeper professional relationships. There’s a time and place for both more formal and less formal emails; it’s your job to know when.
Don’t Muddy the Message. The purpose of email chains is to create siloed conversations that tie back to the subject line and primary conversation topic. If you have a separate topic to communicate with the same group of people, start a new email thread with a subject line that applies to this topic. By doing this, you’ll save yourself the time and hassle by not having to track down old emails incorrectly grouped in the wrong conversation.
One Call, That’s All. Unlike many communications platforms we use regularly, emails don’t come with an edit or undo button. Therefore, mixing emails with strong emotions is never a smart idea. If you need to have a difficult conversation, simply pick up the phone to avoid sending an emotionally charged email you might regret later. When in doubt of how your message may be come across on the receiving end, trust your gut and use the phone. One regrettable email sent during the heat of the moment could end your career or damage a relationship in minutes.
Expect Invisible Recipients. What’s your first instinct when you receive an exciting, serious or unexpected email? Sharing with someone who may also enjoy hearing that news. Knowing this, you should assume any email you send could likely be forwarded to the recipient’s peers or supervisors. This is especially important to keep in mind when sharing resources intended to be confidential, collaborative or in draft mode.
Copy Carefully. Copying others on an email is a delicate balance. When beginning a new position or partnership, ask about their email copying preferences and adopt your email approach accordingly.
While organizations differ on copying expectations, remember the golden rule of copying – never unexpectedly or blindly CC someone’s colleague or supervisor into the email conversation without advance notice. No one likes getting thrown under the bus.Attach At Your Own Risk. Chances are many of the attachments you spend hours putting together never get opened. If you have multiple documents to share, start with only one or two attachments, or consider sharing the information as links or pasting below your signature. An email with too many attachments can come across messy and overwhelming, while also undermining the value of your recipient’s time. Also, some companies’ email servers automatically block attachments if the email comes from an external or unfamiliar address. Let’s keep our emails (and their supporting materials) organized, simple and to the point.
Our PUBLISHED by PERITUS takeaway is this:
A good email can get you in the door quickly, but a bad email can get you kicked out the door even quicker. Create your emails with a moderation mindset and you’ll continue to make a great impression and get where you want to go.