5 Ways to Make Your Emails Stand Out at Work

For many of us, email is the primary method of communication in our job and our inboxes are inundated with messages throughout the day.

It is likely that you send important emails each day but how do you make your message stand out and ensure that it is read, understood, and responded to in a way that allows you to do your job effectively?

Implement the following five practices to put your best email forward.

Personalize your email. Yes, it’s polite to start your email with “Hi Bill” or “Dear Susan”. Plunging straight into a request can come across as rude: “Send over that sales report by the end of the day” might be brief and to the point but it also can appear impersonal and rude.

Avoid the emoji. You might love emoji’s on Facebook or when you text but ignore them when it comes to your professional emails, especially when communicating with your boss, a senior executive, or a customer (unless you work at an emoji factory 😃). 

   

Be brief and specific. Keep your emails to the point and be brief. There is no need to go on about your weekend, or your aunt’s new rash. Stay focused and, if possible, provide a deadline if you are requesting some action: “Dear Susan, I’ve attached a spreadsheet with our sales projections for the 3rd quarter but I’m missing some information about Product XYZ. Can you look over the spreadsheet and fill in the missing information by 3:00 PM, tomorrow?” 

  

Don’t respond when angry or frustrated. If you’re dealing with a particularly stressful situation or a difficult personality, take some time to compose yourself before composing the email. Rattling off a quick, terse, and angry response is a good way to make a difficult situation worse. A good rule is to wait 24 hours, if possible, to respond when angry.

Be grateful and positive. Be sure to thank your colleague or customer when they reply with the information you’ve requested and make every effort to keep your messages positive when possible.

Dear Susan, I’ve attached a spreadsheet with our sales projections for the 3^rd quarter but I’m missing some information about Product XYZ. Can you look over the spreadsheet and fill in the missing information by 3:00 PM, tomorrow?

Thank you for your attention to this.

Have a good day,

Jim

4 Tips for Writing Effective Emails at Work

Communication skills can make or break a career and one of the most basic, and overlooked, forms of communication in the workplace is email.

Many people, unthinkingly, jot out their emails in haste, not realizing that they could be damaging their reputations and careers by ineffectively, or rudely, communicating with colleagues.

Here are four tips to avoid that and ensure that your emails enhance, rather than harm, your career.

1. Delay emails when frustrated or angry. Many of us do just the opposite: we receive an email that appears to criticize us or demean an accomplishment and we angrily dash off a snarky email in response. In fact, many of these situations would be best handled with a face-to-face conversation but, if you must reply by email, take some time to calm down and relax, write a brief email, and perhaps even suggest a meeting in person to discuss the issue in more detail.

2. Send email only to the individuals who really need to receive it. We've all been on the receiving end of email strings that go to large groups and are largely irrelevant to the majority of people who are cc:d. Don't be like this; it only annoys colleagues. Be sure to send your emails only to those most impacted by your email. 

3. Be clear about the focus of your email. Write a clear, brief, and specific message in the subject line of your email. This will help your readers understand the content and priority of your message.

4. Write brief messages. An email should not be a lengthy report. It should, in fact, be brief and to the point. "I am working on A, B, and C", for example, or "Our priorities for the week should be X, Y, and Z." Use short, concise, and clear statements for your readers and use language that appears courteous, rather than curt and rude.

Focusing on these four tips will increase your effectiveness when communicating by email. 

Daily Leap Career Video of the Week: Useless Phrases to Eliminate from Your Emails

Each week we present our Daily Leap Career Video of the Week. The video we share presents news or advice related to career development, searching for a job, the economy and employment, and other career-related topics.

The Fast Company video below provides some great tips to making your emails for efficient and to the point.

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

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• 6 Reasons You Need a Personal Website: "Sixty-eight percent of the surveyed HR professionals want to learn more about you and are looking for personal qualities that aren't easily evident on a résumé. Furthermore, half the survey respondents believe a personal website helps to humanize a candidate."


• 10 Things Every Entrepreneur Should Stick To: "In the initial days of business, hard work will pay more than the smart work."


• 11 Truths About Being an Entrepreneur: "People want to work with people they like. The only way you’ll be able to move mountains is if you believe you can."


• How to Give Tough Feedback That Helps People Grow: "Giving developmental feedback that sparks growth is a critical challenge to master, because it can make the difference between an employee who contributes powerfully and positively to the organization and one who feels diminished by the organization and contributes far less."


• 3 Words That Make You Sound Rude in Email: "Because 'sorry' is so overused, it tends to feel flippant and non-genuine. “I apologize,” on the other hand, is said rarely enough that it still carries a lot of weight."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: 5 Keys to Being a Great Mentor

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 5 Keys to Being a Great Mentor: "The goal of coaching is to help your mentees build up confidence in themselves... most people do not succeed because they have a great deal of self-doubt and therefore they self-sabotage."


• The 10 Commandments of the New Economy: "We need to have a longer time-horizon than the next earnings call. The communities we live in and the earth we inhabit both demand our attention and investment."


• 5 Steps to Improve Your Networking Skills: "No matter whom you’re trying to build a relationship with, treating that person as a friend rather than a business contact will take you much further with the relationship. So, think about how you would approach a potential friend."


• How to Brag About Your Accomplishments: "What these results seem to suggest is that when deciding whether to (honestly) brag or (deceptively) humblebrag, would-be self-promoters should choose the former — and at least reap the rewards of seeming sincere."


• Sending Professional Emails: "Getting into the habit of writing business documents more formally – even if they are only emails – will help you establish a professional image in the long run."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: The Secret to Career Happiness

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• Why All Managers Must be Leaders: "Management and leadership need to be taught in schools as interconnected disciplines that cannot exist without the other. Leaders within organizations should be mentored so that they know how to properly manage."


• What is the Secret of Career Happiness?: "If you know you're playing to your strengths, in an environment you can thrive and feel your work is rewarding, that really is happiness at work."


• 7 Social Media Tips to Boost Your Job Search: "As more companies turn to researching their candidates online, it’s more important for job seekers to understand their online presence as well as how to improve it."


• The Pros and Cons of Doing One Thing at a Time: "When you juggle, your tasks interact with each other, and that can be a good thing. As they compete for your attention, their specific problems come into sharp relief, and new solutions present themselves."


• Improving Communication Skills for Job Seekers: "Employers use email to ask for more information, request interviews and provide status updates. This vital business communication vehicle is another chance to highlight your strengths in written communication."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Battle Uncertainty

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share them so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• The Most Certain Ways to Battle Uncertainty: "Whether you’re starting a company and can’t see exactly what lies ahead, or you’re working for an organization where everything seems a bit shaky, we’ve rounded up some great resources that, with certainty, will help you deal with uncertainty."


• Here's What You Should Put In The Subject Line Of Work Emails : "The email subject line--a field that confuses many people--is the first thing that recipients see and therefore the most important part of an effective work email. Here are some tips for what to write."


• How to Land the Perfect Reference Letter: " Here’s how to pick the ideal references to write a glowing testament to your skills."


• The Road Traveled Alone: How Millennials Can Find Motivation In Challenging Environments: "What do you do when you need that extra, strategic support and it’s not something you can reach out and grab in your immediate environment? Try these four steps."


• How to Write the Perfect Networking Follow Up Email: "Being one of the few who consistently follow up with new contacts after a networking event will make you standout among the majority of networkers."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Leadership, Mentors, and How to Send a Networking Email

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

© Bellemedia | Stock Free Images & Dreamstime Stock Photos

• 10 Leadership Lessons I Wish I Learned In My 20's: "Always have someone as your coach, your confidant, and your advisor.  This can be formal or informal, but you need a 'go-to' person at every stage of your life.  This person may change and you may add mentors over time."

• How to Send a Networking Email That Won't Be Ignored: "Busy people don't have time to read lengthy emails, and sending five paragraphs when you could have sent two doesn't show you respect their time. Keep it brief."


• Tough Love Tips for College Seniors Entering the Job Market: "You share something in common with thousands of others who have graduated from your college. Sharing the same school name can be a powerful connection and one that can open doors."


• Why You Should Always Do a Little Work For Free: "
  You get to be scared. It’s easy to forget how fortunate you are. Help a person whose business is on the brink of failing and you’ll remember the true meaning of 'urgent.'
  "


• Three Job Truths Parents Can Give Their College Grad: "Should the most qualified candidate always get the job? Absolutely. Does it always happen? Um, not really. Sometimes the candidate who lands the job is actually the savvier marketer, the stronger self-promoter and better networker." 

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup: Elevator Pitch, Promotions, and Career Killers

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. Tips for Making a Short and Succinct Elevator Pitch
"With a well-planned, succinct, targeted introduction, you'll inspire additional conversation with your networking contacts."

2. 8 Gimmes You Need to Include on Professional Emails
"Strong communication skills, both verbal and written, are extremely valuable to employers. Every message they receive from you will serve to form an impression."

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3. 8 Things to Consider if You Were Passed Over for a Promotion
"Don’t let this derail you or your career goals.  Learn from this situation and take the right actions that will get you where you know you can go."

4. 5 Career Killers to Avoid
"A surefire way to ensure you never move up the corporate ladder is to become complacent in your job."

5. 10 Scary Job Interview Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
"Sometimes, reality is even scarier than our dreams, and these common job interview mishaps are too nerve-wracking to ignore."

High 5 Weekly Career Transitions Roundup

This is our weekly roundup of some of the best career-related articles, interviews, blogs, etc., we've read during the week. We share these every weekend so you have some great resources to prepare you for the coming week. Enjoy!

1. 7 Ways to Conduct a Job Search Like a Professional Athlete
"Ready for the big game? An athlete prepares for months, even years, with a rigorous training schedule, healthy eating, keeping focused on the end result – the win. Before you hit the streets looking for your next big career move, consider what  you need to do to prepare."

2. Volunteering = Career Development
"There is also another great reward that results from volunteering: career development. And I don’t just mean the typical resume booster of listing charities and charitable events under your community involvement section."

3. The 5 Secrets to Staying Employed
"It's easy to say you have "great communication skills" or that you're a leader in your field; it's another thing to demonstrate it on a regular basis."

4. Best Practices for Emailing Hiring Managers 
"Keep these tips in mind to ensure that your emails will catch the eye of those hiring managers and recruiters and you will land that first interview."

5. 12 Tips for a Smooth Transition to Your New Job
"Whether it took you two weeks, two months or two years to land this position, your first few days on the job will be the most memorable, so it’s essential you make a good impression."

The 5 Rules of Email Etiquette

Electronic communication has become the standard in today’s business world. Many people would rather send an email instead of making a phone call. However, in the job seeking and business community, you may be breaking some very important rules of etiquette in your email communications. Here are some general rules to help you ensure ALL your communication is professional and appropriate.

Don’t be too friendly or personal in your email.
No matter how well you know your boss, or how much you want to appear to be one of the team with that potential employer, business emails should always stay professional in nature. The tone of your voice, your sense of humor, and intent of irony does not always come through in an email. Before sending an email, read through the message and ensure the content can’t be misconstrued.

Don’t use email for sensitive subjects or when a phone call would be simpler.
Email is not the right place to have a disagreement with another person. You may come across as curt, unfriendly, or even angrier than you really feel – which may just escalate the situation. If you would not want anyone to read the contents of your email, it may be best to have the conversation face-to-face. If you find that you are emailing back and forth and not resolving the issue, it may be better to just pick up the phone and settle the issue.

Pay attention to spelling and grammar.
Professional emails are not the place to use the abbreviated “text language” that is so popular with texting or social media. Take your time when writing an email and check your spelling, punctuation, and grammar to avoid embarrassing mistakes. I once had a client who sent a post-interview thank you email after an interview in which they assured her a job offer would be forthcoming. Her thank you email contained a spelling error. No job offer was ever extended, she lost the opportunity due to a simple mistake.

Ensure your email address is professional.
Hotmama67@xyz.com or ilovebeer@abc.com are just a few of the emails I have seen on actual resumes in my career. Feel free to use whatever email you want for your personal correspondence, but always use a professional email address when corresponding in the business world. It is best to use something simple and professional that contains your name or first initial and last name.

Use the CC and BCC function properly.
The CC function, which stands for “carbon copy” should be used when you are sending a message to someone but also want to copy a few other people on the message. If you are sending a message to a large group of people, use the BCC – or “blind carbon copy” function. This will prevent you from sharing email addresses with a large group of people and will avoid cluttering the email with a large cluster of addresses.