Free Essay

E-Mail Advice Memo

In: Business and Management

Submitted By Jenn888
Words 314
Pages 2
The average office worker receives and sends about 121 emails per day. It is important to utilize best practices when drafting e-mails since it is one of the primary modes of communication in the workplace. A helpful guideline for work e-mails is to KISSS – keep it short, simple and sweet.

Keep it short. In the beginning of the e-mail, write a clear subject header with a maximum of 5 words and address the person correctly by title. Then, send a greeting in 1-2 sentences, present your main point and call to action in another 3-5 sentences and close with a short closing message and signature.

Keep it simple. Make the e-mail simple and easy to read. Receiving a long e-mail is daunting not only to read but also to look at. A quick rule of thumb is to consider limiting e-mails to be no more than 5-10 sentences. Any additional information, like meeting notes and detailed information surrounding a project, should be sent in an attachment. This practice will allow the reader to understand the main point of the e-mail and revisit the details at a more optimal time.

Keep it sweet. A recent study has shown that 64% of people have sent or received an e-mail that caused unintentional anger. An e-mail does not always have to be sweet but it is important to practice empathy when writing an e-mail. While proofreading, check your tone. If you have crafted a particularly angry e-mail on purpose, put the e-mail down for a couple hours or even a full day and think again before sending it.

It is important to practice effective communication skills with coworkers to get your message across. I hope you find KISSS to be an easy rule of thumb to guide you through the process.

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