1. Producing Professional Emails to Get Results --Marilyn Woelk Wingz Creative & Technical Group, Inc.

2. How do you use email?  Mainly to send documents with attachments?  To communicate with boss or team at work?  As the main way of communicating with a virtual team?

3. Problems with Email Communications  “Reply All ”might send information to people who don’t really need it.  “Reply All” might send confidential information to the wrong people.  When emails are sent to a large group, there may be confusion re who is taking on the action items you request, or the request may devolve into a discussion between the parties, rather than providing the actual answers you need. [Scope Creep happens in emails, too!]  Inboxes get loaded with emails that are never read, and become outdated.

4. Problems With Email Communications  Emails may be marked as urgent, but the recipient may have a dozen emails marked that way.  Since the recipient may rush through reading emails, information may be missed.  Long chains of email replies may list the same subject, with ”RE:” in front of it, so it’s hard to find key information in the replies when you go back to look for it, again.  These are just a few of the problems that exist with email!

5. Ways to Get “Heard” via Email  Make your subject line specific. Ex: URGENT for REVIEW by 5 p.m. Th – Call Center Statistics  Send email only to those who “need to know.” Check To/CC status.  Divide email content into specific questions that can be answered with “yes/no” or simple words or phrases.  Boldface main points or questions and include explanation below.  Use color to differentiate subjects, priorities, or other information.

6. Ways to Get “Heard” via Email  If sending to a large group, list specific names when you want a particular person to follow up. Ex: Jane, can you check on when these statistics were last run? Susan, can you find out how many locations we have statistics for, and which locations we need to follow up with?  If things devolve into discussion or conflict over certain points, bring the group back to the central points. Ex: Will we be able to have answers to these questions before 5:00 tomorrow? I will need to have this draft finished by then. Who will make the final decision re this?  If you are put “on hold” re answers, try to get an idea of when someone will get back to you with an answer, and who that will be.

7. How to Deal with Angry Emails  Don’t be defensive and don’t respond without a coffee break or cooling off period, first.  When you do respond, ignore the “attack” and deal with the facts. (Like a lawyer, you need to present a persuasive case, but not get thrown out of the courtroom for contempt!)  If the person copied in a lot of people (making you look bad to a group), “Reply All” to the group to defend what has been said, factually and without emotion. Otherwise, reply to the person only. If the situation escalates, forward the email to your/their boss, and copy him/her in on all future communications.

8. How to Communicate Internationally  Global audiences present unique communications challenges.  A friendly greeting is customary before launching into what you are requesting.  Avoid colloquial expressions like the plague.  Use one or two sentence questions.  Include lots of visuals.  Provide translated resources when possible.

9. Things to Include in Every Email  What you are requesting or need clarification about  When you need it  What your availability limitations are. Ex: I need this by Thursday because I will be traveling out of the country on Friday and will not have access to email.  Your contact info and best times to reach you. Ex: You can email me, or you can call me after 2:00 p.m. EST today (after my morning training session).

10. Email Exercises  Sample Emails  Rewriting Your Email Examples

11. How to Email Me Marilyn Woelk President Wingz Creative and Technical Group, Inc. marilynw@wingzcreative.com 585-899-0167 @bluestoneriver