4 Tips to Much Better Emails — Lionesses of Africa

by Laura Camacho 

You are surely familiar with email drama. Perhaps you got involved in one yourself, where the misinterpretation of a message, or one that got sent to the wrong person, spun off into a totally unproductive soap opera segment.

It’s good to remember that everything you write actually can be used against you, so here are a few tips to much better emails.

1. Think first. 

Before you initiate a thread, carefully consider what you really want to communicate, what emotion you want to share, and the personality of your intended recipient. Make sure you wouldn’t do better by calling the person, or even sending a video message or voice mail. If you’re replying to an email, see if your reply really is necessary. Sometimes we get copied on messages that are only slightly relevant to us. 

2. Edit. 

Never hit “send” without re-reading your message at least once. Read it from the bottom up. Use spell check to give a more professional image. Even a simple message of “no” can be improved to “no and thank you for reaching out.”

3. Review emotional content. 

If you’re feeling great, no worries. But, if you’re concerned or angry about something, even if it’s totally unrelated to the message, you’ll probably send negative emotional content without intending to do so. Don’t write email when you’re angry or even irritated.

4. Interpret with care

If you find yourself offended by an email, file it to look at again at a later time. Remember, everyone tends to be stressed and busy. Give the sender every benefit of the doubt. If you still feel bad, call the person, and ask him or her to explain more carefully the message.

Email is the number one channel for business communication. It’s worthwhile to invest in making your emails accurately reflect your brand.