Slideshow from the 7 Ways to Write More Effective Email seminar presentation by Email Strategist Steuart Snooks, CEO at Solutions for Success. See more information at www.emailtiger.com.au
7 ways to write more effective email presentation slideshow
1. 7 Ways to
Write More
Effective Email
Steuart Snooks
CEO
www.emailtiger.com.au
2. Overview: The Challenge
of E-mail Overload
In summary, the problems with e-mail overload are:
1: Volume
2: Interruption
3: Relevancy
4: Time
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
3. Common E-mail Problems
Rate each of the following common e-mail problems on a scale
of 1 to 10 (1 is no problem 10 is a major problem)
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
4. If the #1 problem is . . .
Getting no response to your e-mail when you send a message that
clearly requires a response r the response is too slow
who is ‘at fault’?
the sender?
the receiver?
or both?
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
5. 7 Ways to Write More Effective E-mail
1: Think first – is e-mail the best way for this message/person
2: Communicating in the Age of Speed
3: What is Your Desired Outcome?
4: How to Write Better Subject Lines
5: Automate Your Follow up
6: Why the Inverted Pyramid Structure works best
7: Why You Should Write an E-mail Backwards
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
6. General principles
Write to suit the reader
Take time at the ‘front end’
The rule of written
communication is “If it can
be misunderstood – it will!”
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
7. General principles
“Every email you send
should add value or
advance the conversation”
Every email response you can avoid
will save you 5-10 minutes!
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
8. 1: Think first – is e-mail the best way?
What sort of messages • Confidential or private messages
are not appropriate to • Offensive, abusive etc
• When delivering bad news
be sent via email?
• Complex issues
• Delicate negotiation
• Performance review, discipline or
reprimands
• Urgent messages
• Meeting requests
• Gossip/rumours
• Closing a sale
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
9. 1: Think first – is e-mail the best way?
What sort of people • Those in roles who don’t access
is it not appropriate email often or at all
to communicate with • Those with reading limitations
• Older generations who may
via email? struggle with email technology
• Certain personality styles who
just aren’t email savvy
• Other languages/cultures
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
10. Who to email?
• Get to the point quickly
• Use bullet points
Drivers/Sensors • Suggest possible actions
• Be practical, with sense of urgency
• Use novel approach
• Appeal to sense of originality
Expressives/Intuitors
• Float ideas and forward thinking
• Avoid lots of detail
• Include greeting and cordial closing
Amiables/Feelers/ • Respect tradition and process
• Appeal to values
Relators
• Be people-sensitive
• Logical, fact-based
Analysts/Thinkers • Support with relevant data
• Demonstrate thoroughness
• Show fairness, avoid emotion
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
11. When to email?
Communication/task/activity Best choice of medium
Arranging a meeting Calendar invite (not email ping pong) for internal: Email or share calendar for external
Delegate simple task Email
Delegate complex task Meeting backed up by email
Delicate negotiation Meeting
Follow up after an incident Face-to-face conversation (meeting)
Gossip/jokes Face-to-face (never email)
Internal news Intranet, blog, wiki (email with link)
Making a sale Email to 'warm up'; close with face-to-face conversation (meeting)
Performance feedback/review Face-to-face conversation (meeting) - never email
Refusal/rejection Email (diamond sequence) or letter
Send information Email [with attachment(s) if necessary]
Send meeting agenda/papers Email with attachments (not as part of meeting invite)
Socialising/trivia Text/IM
Special thanks Handwritten note (richer medium = higher perceived sincerity)
Who knows about . . . Email selectively (not to everyone)
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
12. 2: Communicating in the Age of Speed
Media richness framework (based on a theory by Daft & Lengel)
Potential for misunderstanding
Speed of communication
Digital
Asynchronous Auditory
Synchronous Visual
Greater context or richness
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
13. Reduce email volumes
Send less, receive less No question, no reply
* The more you send, the more * Send a one-off notification
you will get back * Add as PS to signature
* Email begets more email * Reduces unnecessary email
Improve email
responses (and
reduce volumes)
Establish financial thresholds Use ‘if/then’ instructions
* Allows for independent * Prevents follow up questions
decision-making * Speeds up decision-making
* Reduces back ‘n forth emails * Reduce back n’ forth emails
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
14. 3: What is your desired outcome
Action required:
Response requested:
Read only:
FYI:
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
15. Use Drafts folder for subject lines
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
16. Use Drafts folder for subject lines
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
17. 4: What makes a good subject line?
Desired Outcome Timeframe Target
Action required: Deadline To
Response requested: When To
Read only: Due by cc
FYI: Before cc
Use BCC only to control replies and safeguard privacy
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
18. 4: What makes a good subject line?
Recipient placed in the TO box – an action is expected
To
1: Desired outcome
2: Timeframe 3: Clear, concise
clearly stated (so the
specified description of the
reader knows what’s
subject
expected of them
cc
Recipient placed in the CC box – for their information only, no action or response expected
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
19. Sending attachments
Some considerations
1. Send a document link or hyperlink whenever possible
(instead of an attachment)
2. When sending more than 5 documents, attach a note explaining
• number of documents,
• reading order and
• direct them to specific sections requiring their attention
3. When sending to smartphones (where attachments are hard to
manage), copy and paste key information into body of email
(ie: executive summary)
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
20. 5: Automate your follow up
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
21. 5: Automate your follow up
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
22. 5: Automate your follow up
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
23. 5: Automate your follow up
Keeping track of follow ups
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
24. 5: Automate your follow up
Keeping track of follow ups
Black if pending
Red if overdue
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
25. 6: Why INVERTED PYRAMID structure work best
Main Point
Summary of your main point, request,
recommendation or solutions
Supporting
details
Background, reasons
explanations, details
Any next steps
Concise close
Sign off
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
26. 6: Why INVERTED PYRAMID structure work best
The F-shape
A heatmap from eye-tracking
study of websites.
Areas viewed most are red,
then yellow, then blue.
Grey areas were not viewed
at all.
main point here
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
27. 6: Why INVERTED PYRAMID structure work best
Best suits all the
various personality &
communication styles
Main Point
Summary of your main point, request, Driver, Director,
recommendation or solutions Controller, Choleric
Supporting Expressive, Intuiative,
Sanguine
details
Background, reasons Amiable, Realtor,
explanations, details Feeler, Phelgmatic
Any next steps
Concise close Analyst, Thinker,
Sign off Melancholic
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
28. 6: Why INVERTED PYRAMID structure work best
Main Point
Summary of your main point, request,
recommendation or solutions
Supporting
details
Background, reasons
explanations, details
Any next steps
Concise close Remember:
The 5:30 Rule Summary before details
Sign off
Give a 5 second overview Requests before reasons
of your message and then expand Solutions before explanations
on it with a 30 second version Recommendations before background info
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
29. The A-B-C method
Inverted Pyramid Structure
Main Point
Supporting
details
Close
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
30. 7: Why You Should Write an E-mail Backwards
3: Address message last
2: Write subject line
1: Edit message
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
31. 7 Ways to Write More Effective E-mail
1: Think first – is e-mail the best way for this message/person
2: Communicating in the Age of Speed
3: What is Your Desired Outcome?
4: How to Write Better Subject Lines
5: Automate Your Follow up
6: Why the Inverted Pyramid Structure works best
7: Why You Write an E-mail Backwards
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au
32. What can you do next?
w w w. e m a i l t i ge r. c o m . a u Conference presentations
E-mail audits/surveys
Consulting & advice
Keynote speaking
Steuart G. Snooks Research papers
Email Strategist & Expert Workshops
Blog posts
Audio CDs
Webinars
Seminars
Coaching
E-books
Articles
Ideas
Tips
Solutions for Success 2013 www.emailtiger.com.au