How to Write Effective Email

With the advent of the Internet, email has become a major form of communication between friends and colleagues. Here are some pointers to help write effective emails, and get the responses you want.

First off, email is a quick and easy way to send a message to another person. It is not intended, however, to take the place of a live conversation. It's simply too inefficient to write messages back and forth when a simple phone call or meeting would suffice. Or, you could transfer your conversation to an on-line chat area, like Yahoo Messenger, which is designed to send messages quickly back and forth.

Another downfall of email is that it is wide open to the receiver's interpretation, and often, they are misunderstood and misconstrued. There are many symbols (known as "emoticons") that can be used to convey emotion in the message. The advantages of email are many, including saving on long-distance telephone charges, sending messages to multiple people simultaneously, and providing a paper trail.

Personal Email. Email messages should be written much like talking. They should be on the short side and to the point, if possible. When you find yourself writing so much that it would be easier to pick up the phone, then you know it's too long. Casual email messages between friends can take any form you desire, however, business emails should stick to the following guidelines.

Business Email. When sending email messages for business, remember that a live person reads the message upon receiving it. We cannot stress how important this is to keep in mind, as many people tend to think that emails sent to businesses are read by computers. This is not usually the case! Angry, impolite emails sent blindly to corporations are much less likely to be resolved quickly, if at all.

Emails sent to businesses should be polite, stating your questions/concerns, and specifically asking for a particular resolution, if desired. If you have a contact name, by all means use it -- this will make the email more personable. And remember to include your name and contact information in the message if you want a response. Avoid using too many emoticons when writing business correspondence.

A business proposal should rarely be presented in the form of an email -- it is much too formal, and usually too involved to send via such a casual venue. It should, rather, be sent as an attachment and only if it is requested.

Email Etiquette. Spam is the #1 problem on the Internet. Cape.Com condemns spam, and will not allow users to send mass emails from our servers. Always think of the recipient's time before you forward that joke or chain letter again. And try not to get into the "reply all" habit unless all recipients really must see your comments. Email is a very efficient form of communication, best when not overused.

Do not get stuck in with Caps Lock key down! Email messages sent in all capital letters are interpreted as angry shouting. This is a big email no-no (unless you mean to appear angry.)

Related Pages