What does your email say about you?

Posted by Sarah Hobbs

As we explored last time, you work really hard to present yourself well in your organisation, and to make a great contribution – but then the work you produce lets you down. And it’s the same with corporate email…

People get so many emails that part of your job is about saving people’s time – and producing emails that are a credit to you. So the question is, do the emails you send enhance your reputation or do they undermine it?

Do you know what you’re trying to say? The first and most important thing is to think carefully about the message and what you’re going to say.
Think about the subject line. How often have you received an email where the subject line is either generic (it doesn’t indicate what needs to be done) or out of date (it refers to the first message, and not the current conversation)? One client we work with gets 400 emails per day and doesn’t even do the first sort themselves (his PA goes through and filters his emails so he gets the important ones first). It’s common for people to be handling hundreds of emails each day. Having an accurate subject line really helps the reader pick out what needs to be done, and makes sure your email gets read. It’s also easy to file and to find in future. Getting this right makes you stand out.
Think about what you want to happen with this email. Is this an email you need them to keep for reference or one that you want them to act upon? If it’s for reference, sometimes it’s helpful to put the information into a short word document that they can file on their system (as people find it hard to file emails in their filing system). On the other hand, if it’s for action, keep it short and where possible limit it to one issue per email with a really clear statement as to what you want them to do.
Think about your brand. How well does this email reinforce the reputation you’re trying to build? Write a list of adjectives that you want people to think about you – then look at your emails. For example, if you’re trying to build a reputation for clarity, does this email reflect that, with clear structure, short, bullet points? Or if you’re telling people that you’re great communicator – is your email friendly and use simple language? Not every email has to demonstrate your brand, but you’re trying to create congruence – so take the opportunity to get it right in key emails.
Respond consistently. Many people get caught into the trap of being quick responders to email. Whilst that’s not a bad thing, set yourself into a pattern of response and stick to it rather than making a proverbial rod for your back. So don’t set an expectation that you’ll always reply within a few minutes and run the risk of letting people down – instead consider setting an expectation that you’ll respond within 24 hours.
Achieve accuracy and good grammar. Avoid shortcuts and phone speak unless you really know the person – and even then bear in mind that there is a forward button and what you’ve written may get forwarded on to other people who don’t know you as well.
Be mobile friendly Many people read and deal with messages on their phone. Two key things will stand out here. Keep messages short – no scrolling through a lot of text. And set up your signature with your contact details – so ALL emails come with this. This makes it easy for people on the run to phone you. Most people haven’t set up this function on their phone – be the one who stands out!
Think about the email trail. Several people I know have come unstuck by not thinking about the earlier conversation that appears below the email they’re sending. I know of one group where the team had been emailing each other and someone had left comments about the managers, which were then inadvertently delivered to the manager when the final email was sent!

TAKE AWAY
So much of our communication in the modern work world is done by email – it’s how people are going to get to know you and what you’re about. Make sure you’re creating the right impression.