E-mail Messages

1. E-mail Messages

2. Outline • Fields of an e-mail • Subject line • One point per e-mail • The expected response • Be a good correspondent • Final tips

3. Fields of an e-mail • Header • To • Cc • Bcc • Subject • Body

4. Fields of an e-mail • E-mail the right people. • 3 fields, each with a meaning • To field: • One or more addresses (recipients) • Message is directed to you • For people you require action from 4

5. Fields of an e-mail • Cc field: • One or more addresses • Keeps other people “in the loop” • No direct action required • Lets the receiver “be aware” • Bcc field: • Keeps others secretly “in the loop” • "To" and "Cc" recipients are unaware • Larger mailings (50+ recipients) 5

6. Subject Line • Recipients usually scan the subject line and then either open, forward, file or delete the message. • Emails without subject lines may be mistaken for spam.

7. Meaningful Subject line • You must include a subject line with every email. • Subject lines are headlines • Use a few well-chosen words to tell the recipient what the email is about. • Make the subject line as clear as possible. • “I need your help!! ” vs. “ Could you email me the link to the file?”

8. Examples • Subject: [Blank] • Inappropriate: You should get your recipient thinking about your message even before opening it. • Subject: “Important! Read Immediately!!” • Inappropriate: What is important to you may not be important to your reader. • Appropriate: "Emergency: All Cars in the lower Lot will be towed in 1 hour." • Subject: “Follow-up about Friday” • Fractionally appropriate, provided that the recipient remembers why a follow-up was necessary.

9. Examples (Cont.) • Subject: “That file you requested” • Appropriate: If your recipient will recognize your e-mail address, and is expecting a file from you. • Inappropriate: Many e-mail providers spam-blockers will not let your message through. • Subject: “10 confirmed for Friday... will we need a larger room?” • Appropriate: Upon reading this informative subject line, the recipient immediately gets an idea of the content.

10. One Point Per Email • Email has no extra cost for multiple messages. • Write a separate email to communicate each different idea. • Helps your correspondent reply to each one individually. • In case all the points are related to the same subject (e.g. a project), then present each point in a separate, numbered paragraph.

11. Bad Example Subject: Revisions For Sales Report Hi Ahmad, Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. Also, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, regarding the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me know if you can make that time. Thanks! Mona

12. What’s Wrong? • The second paragraph about the meeting is pretty important, but it might not be noticed. • Searching for the meeting information at a later time will be hard because the subject does not match the content. • The next couple of slides show how to split the message into two emails.

13. Good Example (1) Subject: Revisions For Sales Report Hi Ahmad, Thanks for sending in that report last week. I read through it yesterday and feel that you need more specific information regarding our sales figures in Chapter 2. I also felt that the tone could be a bit more formal. Thanks for your hard work on this! Mona

14. Good Example (2) Subject: Friday 10/9, 11am Meeting w/PR Dept Hi Ahmad, I wanted to let you know that I've scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday, 10/9, regarding the new ad campaign. It's at 11:00am, and will be in the small conference room. Please let me know if you can make that time. Thanks! Mona

15. Be clear on the expected response • Let the recipients know what you expect from them. • Provide sufficient information to clarify the message to the recipient. • Give full contact information.

16. Bad Example From: some_professor@just.edu.jo Subject: Exam problems Dear Ali, Did you receive my suggested set of problems for next week’s exam? I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure. Can you please call me so we can discuss? Thanks!

17. What’s Wrong? • The professor is emailing the online exams manager asking about a set of questions he had sent to him earlier. • Missing information. • What course is he talking about? • Did he send it by post, or through email? • No contact information given for the phone number • Full name and title are not given • The next slide shows an improved version of the email

18. Good Example From: some_professor@just.edu.jo Subject: Checking on exam problem for NES 201 Dear Ali, I just wanted to check that you have received the set of proposed exam problems which I emailed to you last week. I haven't heard back and wanted to make sure it went through. Would you please call me by Wednesday so we can discuss? This is when I need to have the questions posted online ahead of the scheduled exam time. The quickest way to contact me is by office phone. Thanks! Dr. Sahel Al-So’ob Dept. of Network Engineering and Security ++962-7201000 Ext, 23456 (office) ++962-79-1234567 (cell)

19. Be a good correspondent • Go through your inbox regularly and respond as appropriate. • If you don't have the time to collect the information, send a holding reply saying that you have received the message, and indicate when you will respond fully. • Always set your Out of Office agent when you're going to be away from your email for a day or more.

20. Final Tips • Identify yourself clearly • Full name, Title, Contact information • Be kind and never send an email when angry • Think before you click "Send" • Proofread • Read. Use Spell-check • Don't assume privacy • Email is not secure • Recognize formal and informal situations • Know who you are writing to • Show Respect and Restraint • Ask the sender before forwarding a personal message • Use BCC instead of CC when sending sensitive info to large groups