Sending Effective E-mail Messages April 23, 2012

1. Sending Effective E-mail MessagesApril 23, 2012 • The problem with e-mail is that people think it’s electronic mail. • E-mail is NOT postal mail in electronic form. You are not writing a letter. • E-mail a unique medium and communication device. • E-mail is good for conveying information and soliciting a fairly short response, answer to a question, etc. • It tends to be less effective for long descriptions (e.g., of your research) and wide-open discussions (e.g., searching for consensus) Source: http://matt.might.net/articles/how-to-email/. I want to thank my SDSC colleagueChic Barna for sharing this with me several months ago.

2. Basic E-mail Guidelines • Format your message into bullet points. • Bullets are easier to scan (esp. electronically) than whole paragraphs. • Keep your message short. • Put critical information in the top 5 lines. • Try to crystallize your message into 3 key points. • Place action items that recipients need to respond to at the top. • Sort points by priority (highest-priority items come first). • Be polite and respectful. Remember: You are trying to motivate them to do something, so try not to annoy them with too much text. • Peter Taylor anecdote about closing with “Best regards.”

3. Subject Line • The subject should be informative with key elements of your message, ~72 characters or less. • If entire e-mail fits in the subject line, put it there and hit SEND. - It takes a click out of processing and increases the chance of a response. • If the topic doesn’t fit in the subject line, include the most critical details (event topic, date, time) - Don’t send “Save the Date” as a subject. Recipients will wonder “for what?” Instead send “Event title, Save the Date: Date.” • The subject line must provide enough information so the recipient knows how to prioritize and whether/how to act on your message.

4. Use Points, Not Paragraphs • Note the difference between speech, written material (papers), and e-mail messages – they use different formats to be effective. • Put blank line between points and paragraphs. • White space makes the information more approachable (readable) and less threatening. • White space makes the text easier to read. • NO ONE wants to read large blocks of text!

5. Example: Don’t Send This Type of Message “I had some ideas about using X to do Y. Is that possible? It doesn’t seem possible to do X without doing W. I also thought we might be able to do A. I saw a paper on B. Did you read it? I really like Q because of R, S, and T…”

6. Instead, Make Your Logic More Clear with This Approach… I had some ideas about using X to do Y. Is that possible? • It doesn’t seem possible to do X without doing W. I also thought we might be able to do A. • Because… I saw a paper on B (give cite). Did you read it? I really like Q because • R • S • T

7. Tips on Discussions • If you want to have a discussion, put it later in the message. • Reply to discussion points by embedding your replies in context (relevant text) with a different color font (so they can be scanned quickly) rather than responding in a single block of text to all points.

8. Example: Using the Previous Example, Try This Structure > I had some ideas about using X to do Y. Is that possible? No, but you can use U and V instead. > It doesn’t seem possible to do X without doing W. That’s right. > I also thought we might be able to do A. Agreed.

9. Replying • Reply on top if your reply is a single point. • Reply below if it’s part of a discussion chain. • You want the readers to be able to follow the logic of the discussion. • Replying below, though often better form, is rarely used. • Respond to part of a message by deleting the irrelevant parts before replying.

10. One Topic Per Message • If you’re e-mailing one person on multiple topics, split the e-mail apart into individual, one-topic messages and use subject line accordingly. • This enables the recipient to respond more quickly and provide response in the exact context.

11. Manners • Add “please” and “thank you” where appropriate. • “Thanks!” (casual) is appropriate with someone you know (esp. a peer). • A more formal closing line is appropriate for a professor, dean, potential boss, and others you don’t know. Examples: • Thank you very much for your time. • I appreciate your taking the time to respond. • Sincerely. • “Best regards” can work nearly anytime.

12. Final Considerations • Use • Good grammar • Correct spelling • Avoid “texting” (elliptic) language

13. E-Mail: How Do You Use It? What Problems Have You Had? • Composing – getting your points across succinctly? • Reading/understanding others’ e-mails?

14. Next Session • Common writing mistakes • Class edit of the sample document I sent you Friday • About a graduate program at Johns Hopkins University to teach students to become entrepreneurs