7 ways to write more effective email presentation slideshow

7 Ways to
Write More
Effective Email

Steuart Snooks
CEO
www.emailtiger.com.au

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

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)


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?

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


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!”


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!


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


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


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

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)


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

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


3: What is your desired outcome

Action required:

Response requested:

Read only:

FYI:


Use Drafts folder for subject lines


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

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


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)


5: Automate your follow up


Keeping track of follow ups


Keeping track of follow ups

Black if pending
Red if overdue


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



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


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



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


The A-B-C method

Inverted Pyramid Structure

Main Point

Supporting
details

Close


7: Why You Should Write an E-mail Backwards

3: Address message last

2: Write subject line

1: Edit message


7 Ways to Write More Effective E-mail
1: Think first – is e-mail the best way for this message/person


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


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


7 ways to write more effective email presentation slideshow

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