Common Sense Ideas for Becoming the Career Star You Are Meant to Be

Today is Thursday, so this post is on Communication Skills.  E mail writing is the focus.

We all receive so many e mails everyday that it is easy to take e mail writing for granted.  E mails, are simple right?  Sit down at your computer, bang out a message, hit send.  Wrong.  You have to spend some time making sure that your emails communicate the right message about you.

While composing an e mail is similar to writing a longer report, it's also a little different.  Clear, concise emails will get you noticed in a positive way.  Here are some tips to help you write better emails.

• Create a subject that means something.  Don’t just say “follow up”, “report”, “meeting”.  Make sure your subject line is compelling enough for people to want to open your e mails.  For example, when I mention someone in a blog post, I always send them an e mail.  My subject line usually reads “I mentioned you on my blog post today”.  Most people, even if they don’t know me, will open this e mail, because they want to know on which blog they were mentioned, and they want to read what I had to say. 
• Use short paragraphs.  Double space between paragraphs.  This makes it easier for the reader.
• Use lists where appropriate.  Bullet points are best for a series of ideas you want to communicate.  Numbers are good when the preceding text says something like “there are five steps to this process”.
• Use precise words – say exactly what you mean.  Write in complete sentences, and use proper grammar.
• Read your e mail before sending it.  Spell check and grammar often don’t catch errors like substituting the word “there” for “their”.
• Try to keep e mail messages to one screen.  If you cannot do so, put the lengthy information in an attachment.
• If you say you are attaching a file in the text, make sure you have actually attached it.  Make sure you attach the correct file.
• Most e mail programs will provide you with several names from your mailing list after you have typed a few letters in the “To:” line.  Make sure you click on the correct name before sending your e mail.
• Never send or respond to an e mail when you are angry.  When you send an e mail or a response when you are angry, you are likely to write something that you will regret later.
• It’s best to avoid emoticons (i.e. smiley faces etc.) in most business e mails.
• It’s best to avoid internet abbreviations (i.e. btw, which means “by the way”, or otoh, which means “on the other hand”) in business e mails.  Write the words you want to say.
• Be careful what you forward.  If you are not sure how the sender will feel about you forwarding an e mail he or she has sent you, ask him or her before you forward it.
• Remember, e mails are stored on company networks for years.  Never write something in an e mail that you are not prepared to defend if it popped up on the front page of the New York Times.

These are a few tips to help you write better e mails.  Well written e mails are just another way of demonstrating your communication skills.  And, good communication skills get you noticed in a positive way.  They are an important part of becoming a career star.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for reading.  Log on to my website www.BudBilanich.com for more common sense.  Check out my other blogs: www.CareerSuperStar.com for common sense advice on becoming the life and career star you are meant to be; and www.CommonSenseDay.com to learn more about Use Your Common Sense Day -- November 4, and to read stories of common sense in action.

I’ll see you around the web, and at Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

Bud

PS: Speaking of Alex’s Lemonade Stand – my fundraising page is still open.  Please go to www.FirstGiving.com/TheCommonSenseGuy to read Alex’s inspiring story and to donate if you can.