The following is a summary of Session 28 of my podcast, The Engineering Career Coach (TECC) Podcast with Anthony Fasano, PE. I will summarize the main points in this post; however, you can also listen to the show through the player below or by subscribing on iTunes. I offer a career-changing tip at the end of each podcast session.
- Think long and hard about whether you really need to write the e-mail at all. You may not have to write an e-mail in the first place. Choose your medium wisely. Often a meeting or a phone call would be much better to get the message across and get feedback. Always ask yourself if you should even be writing the e-mail—is it the best way to communicate in this situation?
- Know your audience. You should only write to people who need to know what you’re writing. Don't send an e-mail to everyone you know "just in case." You should be aware of who needs to be included and communicate with everyone on the team. Be sure to tailor what you've written to that specific audience, including how formally your e-mail is written, the kind of language you use, the acronyms the recipients might know, etc. If you are not very familiar with your audience, write in a more formal way until you have developed those relationships.
- ONLY use "Reply All" if you really, really mean to respond to everybody. Just because people were copied in the first e-mail doesn’t mean their participation in the conversation is still important. Evaluate who needs to know the information. Respect other people’s times. It may not be necessary for everyone to hear everyone else’s replies.
- Use descriptive subject lines that you'll understand a month from now. Your subject line should be meaningful and specific. It should have the information that you need so that when you want to look it up in the future, you’ll be able to find it more quickly.
- Fill the To and CC fields appropriately. People in the To field are the people who really need to know something, usually because they have some action to take or are asked for something. This is important so that when you get responses, you will know whom to expect a reply from. Carbon Copy, or the CC field, should include the people who could survive without reading that e-mail and you are sending it to them for FYI (for your information) purposes only.
- What's the point of your e-mail? Let that guide the way you write. Tell readers what you're going to say, say it, then conclude by saying what you've said. Understanding why you are contacting someone will shape what you actually write. Make your e-mail clear and concise, and stay focused on the point.
- Write using proper grammar, punctuation and spelling. Remember, your digital communications will often precede you. Clearly articulate your message to avoid misunderstandings. Your e-mail can be forwarded or transmitted to other people, and it reflects how you work, the kind of person you are and the attention you pay to detail.
- Format your e-mail properly. Headings, bullets, tables and lists can make all the difference in the world in getting your point across quickly and easily. These formatting techniques can shorten your e-mail, make your language more concise and make it easier for people to digest your message.
- Use a text-based e-mail signature that lets people contact you easily. You can make it easier for other people to use your contact information and reach out to you through other media, such as by phone or snail mail. This signature can also include a marketing website address.
Have you found this post useful? Do you use any of these tips or have other tips that you use for e-mail?
Anthony Fasano, PE, author of Engineer Your Own Success, found success as an engineer at a very early age and now writes and podcasts to help other engineers do the same. Visit Anthony’s website at EngineeringCareerCoach.com for free engineering career advice and other resources.