1. Don’t hide behind your email. There is often great value in face-to-face or even over-the-phone communication. This is especially true when you’re dealing with an unclear or sensitive topic, or something that needs to be (or can be) addressed immediately. Dealing with things over the phone or in-person will also help us all keep our inboxes from getting cluttered.
2. Be brief and concise. Provide basic information and answer any questions, but keep the email short and to-the-point.
3. Be professional. Use correct spelling and grammar. Use an easy to read font like “Calibri”. Especially when sending emails to external audiences, refrain from using emoticons or excessive punctuation.
4. Use the subject line appropriately. In 3-5 words, tell the reader what your email is about.
5. Use CC and BCC appropriately. Only blind copy and carbon copy when necessary. Overuse of these features can clutter already full inboxes.
6. When forwarding emails, provide context. Provide a summary of the email trail so that the person doesn’t have to read the whole trail to understand the take-away message.
7. Take a moment before hitting send to review your message. Make sure that your email conveys your message. Remember your tone (including sarcasm) is hard to decipher via email.
8. Make it a priority to respond to emails in a timely manner. Set aside one or two certain times throughout the day that you can dedicate to responding to emails.
Bonus tip: Set your Out Of Office message when you won’t be responding to emails for more than 4 hours so that others know not to expect an immediate response from you and can plan accordingly.
Many of us get several dozen emails or more every day. For that reason, it’s especially important that we use email in the most efficient and professional manner possible.
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