what not to email: with apologies totlc’s what not to wear

What Not to Email:

With Apologies toTLC’s What Not to Wear

with Stacy and Clinton

See the show on TLC

with Kathywith Kathy and Cecelia

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Check the status quo

It’s just email. Spilling and pungswayshun don’t matter.

You know better…

SQ 2: Return address

Email addresses like these build trust and rapport:

• blood_and_gore@hotmail.com

• dunno_much@yahoo.com

• steamy_lips08@hotmail.com

SQ 3: To quote or not to quote

To save time, you should reply “Yes” or “No” without copying any part of the original message.

SQ 4: Subject line

A message with a mysterious subject line is more likely to be read.

Your subject line should (drum roll please): Describe the subject of your email. Yep, that's it. —Mailchimp

SQ 5: To joke or not to joke

A bit of humor—especially sarcasm—keeps email interesting.

Participants [in recent studies] were able to accurately communicate humor and sarcasm in ________ percent of the emails they sent.

Louise Dobson (2006)

56

SQ 6: Who gets the message?

When in doubt, copy everyone in your address book.

One of the officers convicted of beating R. King sent this email:

Oops. I haven’t beaten anyone so bad in a long time.

A transcript of the message was used at his trial.

SQ 7: Looking forward

Before forwarding a virus warning, you should check it out at Snopes.com or another reputable site

SQ 8: Adding emphasis

ALL CAPS HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR MESSAGE IS URGENT.

Please don’t

SHOUT.

SQ 9: Make it easy on the eyes

Long paragraphs are easier to read.

Give me a break!

SQ 10: Anything goes?

Email is informal, so there are really no rules.

Mind yournetiquette!

Three manners mavens: Shea

Virginia Shea is “Miss Mannersof the ’Net”

Pioneered netiquettein 1994

Book available online athttp://www.albion.com/catNetiquette.html

Difference: Where’s audience? People who wouldn't dream of burping

at the end of dinner post offensive messages to international forums.

Middle managers inadvertently send romantic email messages to the company-wide email alias.

People at computer terminals forget that there are real live people on the other end of the wire.

Virginia Shea, Netiquette (1994)

Three mavens: Booher

CommunicationsconsultantDianna Booher is “Miss Mannersof memos”

Good tips for writers Blog available online at

http://www.amazon.com/

Three mavens: Booher

How do you wind down an email exchange?

1. If the message is positive, assume all is well. If the message context is negative, spend the extra few seconds to reply and spare offense.

2. Reduce the length of your response. A single word or phrase response implies "So long, I'm signing off now."

3. Repeat the action—yours or theirs. You're implying that either of you should "jump right

on it" and have no further time to email.

Three mavens: Kallos

Judith Kallos is “Miss eManners”

Best source for specific adviceon business emailetiquette

NetManners.com

Style mavens: O’Conner

Email’s “very structure … encourages curtness.”

The blank subject line staring you in the face is a signal to state your business and get on with it…. The To and From fields seem to make salutations and signatures redundant or unnecessary.

What we have here is the ideal breeding ground for rudeness.

For a manners makeover…

Avoid terseness, which can be misinterpreted

Use face-to-face communication if issue is sensitive

Read your emails aloud, looking for ambiguity

Anatomy of email: To

To: My Entire Address BookFrom: H. HonchoRe: Nothing importantDate: 1 July,2006

Anatomy of email: To

To: You mad mustachio purple-hued maltworm

Bcc: Henry IV, part 1From: I. RateRe: So-called service at your crummy excuse for a store today

Tip: Use BCC wisely

To keep addresses private, put your own address in the To: line and paste your mailing list in the cc: line

BCCs within an organization can create distrust

Tip: Leave address blank

If you’re furious and must answer an email right away, leave the address line blank.

If you hit Send before you’ve had a chance to cool down, the email won’t go through.

Anatomy of email: From

Would you open mail from Vampyra@Goths_’R_Us.net Boogers2007@hotmail.com Dunno dunno@yahoo.com

Anatomy of email: From

E-mail recipients put more weight on who the e-mail is from than any other item when choosing

which e-mails to open

which to delete which to complain about

Chris Baggot, ExactTarget

Anatomy of email: From

Be complete and be recognized.

Kathy Towner, WIN Communications

Anatomy of an email: Subject

Your subject can answer any of readers’ four key questions:

1. What’s this about?

2. Why should I read this?

3. What’s in this for me?

4. What am I being asked to do?

Anatomy of email: Subject

To: Girrrl friendsFrom: Ima DitzRe: Change of plans

Anatomy of email: Subject

To: Sara Bellum From: Gray Matter Re: Marketing meeting rescheduled for 12/15/06

Anatomy of email: Subject

EOM = end of message

To: Sara Bellum From: Gray Matter Re: Marketing meeting rescheduled for 12/15/06 (EOM)

Tips: Subject

Lead with the main idea Browsers may not display more than first 25-35 characters

Keep track of threads Subject: New Year’s Party Plans (was: New Year-End Bonus Structure)

Create single-subject messages Subject: RSVP for Party and Benefits Enrollment Deadline should be two separate messages

More Tips: Subject

Double-check the address line before sending.

Insulted by a general email from the boss, an employee sent an angry comment to a colleague (she thought): “Does she think we’re stupid?”The reply (from her boss): “Yes, I do.”

Anatomy of an email: Body Before you type anything into a new message,

have explicit answers for two questions: 1. Why am I writing this?

2. What exactly do I want the result of this message to be?

43 Folders (2005)

Anatomy of an email: Body Before you hit Send, review and delete

Negative comments about management Criticisms of staff or performance issues

Bonuses or salary issues Product or liability issues

Gossip Humor or other ambiguities Booher

Anatomy of email: Body

Write so emails are easy to read

Make paragraphs 7-8 lines Insert a blank line between paragraphs Use headlines, bullets, and numbers AVOID ALL CAPS; THAT’S SHOUTING If a message is longer than 3 screens, send an attachment

Anatomy of email: Body

Subject: Noise level in the break rooms

How can we satisfy everyone?

Many of you have told me about the growing tension you feel around using the break rooms. Some of you use them to work and socialize; others need a quiet place to work.

Your ideas are welcome

What do you think we can do about this? Should we designate one room as a lounge and another as a quiet area? D. Dumaine, Write to the Top

Tip: Balance formal/informal Like our work clothes,

the preferred writing style has become business casual.

Avoid extremes Not too pompous Not too passive Not too careless or flip

Diana Booher

Formal or informal?

Most people view email as

more formal than a phone call

less formal than a letter

Tip: Write business casual Strive for a style somewhere

between stuffed-shirt and t-shirt.

Diana Booher

Tip: Too formal is better

When in doubt, err on the side of formality

“Usually the problem is that we treat email too much like a phone call and not enough like a letter.”

O’Conner and Kellerman (2002)

Meeting request: InformalFrom: Bob Anderson <anderson@rand-unix>Date: 21 Dec 84 11:40:12 PST (Fri)To: randvax!anderson, randvax!gillogly,

randvax!normSubject: meeting ...

we need to setup a meeting bet. jim you and i -- can you arange?

i'm free next wed. thks.

Meeting agenda: Formal Subject: MEETING ON FY86 PLANNING, 2PM

12/28/84, CONFERENCE ROOM 1 There will be a meeting of the FY86 planning task

force in Conference Room 1 on December 28, 1984 at 2pm. The Agenda for the meeting is:

--------------------------------------- Topic Presenter Time

--------------------------------------- Strategic Business Plan John Fowles 30 min.

Budget Forecast for FY86 Sue Martin 15 " New Product Announcements Peter Wilson 20 " Action Items for 1st Qtr FY86 Jane Adamson 25 "

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tip: Avoid brusqueness Brief is good. Blunt is not.

Question: Should I pursue an advanced degree? Response 1: No. Response 2: I don’t think an

advanced degree would have any effect on your potential for promotion here.

Diana Booher

Tip: Spelling still counts

This is an actual email.

Purposal

I can beat almost anyones price and almost promise you success and if I don’t reach it, we wont charge you after the time we say we can achieve it until we do.

Tip: Spelling still counts Sloppiness is one of “seven deadly e-mail sins” Bad grammar, misspelling and disconnected arguments

gave 81 percent of the survey sample "negative feelings" towards the senders.

41 percent of senior managers said badly worded e-mails implied laziness and even disrespect.

CNN.com

Question: Do I need a greeting? Consensus: Yes.

Otherwise, you can seem brusque or unfriendly.

Question: Which greeting? Opinion: Divided

Some say “Hi, Steve,” is too informal.

Some say “To whom it may concern” is stilted.

For external communication, use same greeting as in letter

For internal communication, some use Myra:

Question: Which closing? Consensus

Match greeting in tone Formal: Sincerely, Best regards,

Cordially Informal: Thanks; All the best,

Talk to you later

Use a sig line that gives your name, title, and contact information

Omit a P.S. (if the email is longer than a screen,a postscript could be missed)

Question: Email thank-you? 36 percent of employers on

Monster prefer thank-you notes sent by email

29 percent prefer traditional letters

Tip: Electronic isn’t instant Many expect a phone call to alert them

to an email labeled Urgent. Allow a reasonable time (two days – week)

for a response. Respond before senders have to follow up

or business is delayed.

When would you use email? To send confidential salary information To address a personal hygiene issue To get an immediate reply To settle a conflict between two team members To request a manual for the new phone system To recap a conversation about a pending order To set up a meeting next month To keep people updated on a project’s status

When would you use email? To send confidential salary information To address a personal hygiene issue To get an immediate reply To settle a conflict between two team members To request a manual for the new phone system To recap a conversation about a pending order To set up a meeting next month To keep people updated on a project’s status

Why netiquette?

The electronic equivalent of a set of fussy rules that tell you … which fork to use with the salad course?

Netiquette does not consist of a set of rigid rules.

It encourages you to adopt a certain attitude of thoughtfulness.

Gregg Reference Manual, 10th ed.

Suggested resources Available at http://word-crafter.net/email.html

This presentation Articles (including some by Kathy) Best practices for email marketing Recommended books Grammar help Test your netiquette

Tone: Example OneTo: Female employees From: H. HonchoRe: Dress codeDate: 1 July 2006

Clients will be visiting next week. Halter tops and jeans will not make the right impression. It’s time you started dressing for the office instead of the beach. Leave your flip-flops at home!

Tone: Example Two

To: All staffFrom: H. HonchoRe: Reminder about what to wear to work Date: 1 July 2006

During the summer, our dress code is business casual. We think “business casual” means clothes that feel comfortable and look professional.

Men Women•khaki pants •casual pants and skirts•leather shoes… •leather or fabric shoes…

What makes email different?