is to flag them for follow up so you don’t have to
rely on your memory. As you’re composing the
message, simply click the follow-up icon and
select when you wish to follow up.
However, simply flagging a message is often
not enough—you probably need to also add a
reminder for a specific date and time. A flagged
message still requires you to chase after it at some
time in the future whereas a flagged message with
a reminder comes back to you at the nominated
date and time—in the meantime, you can safely
forget about it.
Outlook users can keep track of all these emails
that require follow up in the For Follow Up folder,
located under Search Folders in your folder list.
This folder will show you any emails you have
flagged for follow up, regardless of which folder
it is in. You can even set a separate reminder on
the email itself for the reader and make their
reminder two hours or two days before your own!
This way, that’s one less phone call or email
you have to make as the first step of follow up is
automated.
4
Why the inverted pyramid structure is
best for email
For most messages, the best results will be gained
by using the same approach that journalists and
newspapers use. When you read a newspaper,
the first paragraph tells you the main point and
then the rest of the article is spent supporting that
point with the background details, information,
explanations and reasons in decreasing degree of
importance.
This is known as the Inverted Pyramid
structure and it is highly valued because readers
can leave the story at any point and understand it,
even if they don’t have all the details. The same
approach works well when writing an email.
Remember, most of your email messages will
arrive to your recipient as an interruption and/or
mixed in with lots of other messages. That’s why
it is vital that you quickly communicate the main
point of your message so that it engages their
interest. They can then read as much or little of
the remaining message as they personally need to
then take action on it.
5
Why you should write an email
backwards
Do you sometimes wonder why you don’t get a
response to your email? Or the response is slow?
Or that it doesn’t actually answer the question
you asked? One way to improve the results you
get from the emails you send is to write the email
backwards! Let me explain.
Your email software is set up so you write an
email in the sequence To, Subject then Message.
However, for best results try writing new
messages in the following sequence.
Write your message first and then edit it. Be
sure to use the ‘inverted pyramid’ format we
discussed above.
Waiting until after you write the content
ensures that the Subject Line accurately
summarises and reflects the meaning of your
email message. You will have a much clearer idea
of how to accurately and succinctly summarise
your message in the subject line after you have
written your message rather than before.
Address your message as the final step –you’ll
find that you have a clearer idea of who needs to
get this message, who needs only to read it and
who can be left out altogether after you’ve written
a message rather than before. When you do this as
the last step, you’ll tend to omit people for whom
there is no action or response required (or place
them in the ‘cc’ line if they all they have to do is
read it), reducing unnecessary email.
6
Use Delay Delivery
In business life, timing is important. Using
Delay Delivery allows you to schedule your
outgoing email for when it’s most likely to have
maximum impact. This strategy allows you to
write email when it suits you but have it arrive at
a time that best suits the receiver or ensure it is
delivered at an optimal time to achieve the result
you desire.
Using Delay Delivery so it only arrives
during business hours also enhances your
professionalism. That way you’re not seen to be
writing email at all sorts of odd hours of the day
or week. This helps you control expectations and
have influence with others. When you send a
message that arrives at odd hours, recipients will
wonder if/when they are expected to respond i.e.
straight away, soon or sometime later.
It also provides you with the opportunity
to go back to a message and make any edits or
improvements before it is sent. For example, you
might wish to ‘soften’ a harshly worded message
or add some details or an attachment not thought
of when it was originally composed.
It also reduces the chances of your email being
missed. If you send a message ‘after hours’ it
could be sitting in your recipient’s inbox along
with dozens of other messages when they check
their inbox in the morning. Amongst these will
be a host of spam and other low priority messages
that will have the recipient in a ‘delete’ or ‘purge’
frame of mind - there’s a risk your message could
be lost in this process! S
THE EXPERT
Steuart Snooks is an
email and workplace
productivity expert
who works with busy
professionals to help
them get control
of all their emails.
He has developed a
series of workshops,
presentations, webinars,
coaching and resources
that outline the best
practice skills for
mastering your email.
www.steuartsnooks.com.au
Issue 1 2020 | Chief of Staff 61