Email: It’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it.

Almost every job posting lists excellent written communication skills as a requirement. People make judgments about you based on your written communication.

When reading your email, people don’t have the benefit of seeing your facial expression or body language to determine the full meaning of your communication, so creating a positive framework is critical.

A positive frame:

·       Emphasizes what can be done, not what can’t be done by using possibility language:
What I can do is…
I think it’s possible to…
What if we…
How about…

·       Tells the reader what to start doing, not just what to stop doing: The next time you have to say no to a client request, offer them something else instead such as, “I can’t discount the price of the item, but I can throw in this accessory at no cost, or upgrade shipping.”

·       Gives the message in the best possible light: Your team did a super job! Let’s meet to discuss how we can bring it in closer to budget next time.

Craft a reader-centered document:

·       Who is my reader?

·       What type of relationship do I want to create with my reader?

·       What do I want my reader to do after reading this?

·       What is it, exactly, that I want to say?

·       How do I organize my message to make it clear and likely to be well-received?

*TIP: Enter the email address last. This will avoid sending by mistake before you:

·       Begin with an appropriate, pleasant opening: Happy almost Spring!

·       Craft your email.

·       Double check it for tone, clarity, grammar/spelling errors

·       Check it again. Ask yourself: How is this email likely to be received? Does it say exactly what I want it to say? Am I creating the type of relationship I want to create with the reader?

·       Enter a non-threatening subject line the reader will likely open

·       Enter the email address and send