Ever feel like your email actually puts you more behind?  That you are so far behind, that you are so busy answering tedious emails that you can’t get your work done?  Sometimes people forget the purpose of email, and it becomes the opposite of its intent.  It is suppose to speed up our communication and save time, not be a burden.  If you want people to respond to your emails quickly and correctly, make sure you set them up properly.  When you write your next email try to remember these tips and facts:

  • 47% of emails are opened on Mobile Devices
  • People view their emails on their phone roughly 150 times a day
  • 80% of people will delete an email if it doesnt look right on their phone.
  • Most people will only read the first couple sentences of an email before deciding whether to respond or ignore it.
  • Limit Attachments, too many will overwhelm most people.
  • If you are forwarding a large back and forth conversation, summarize it for the person you are sending it to, so they don’t have to scroll through the email chain.
  • Don’t use reply all unless it is absolutely necessary.  Otherwise you are just adding to the clutter.
  • Remember to be extra polite in email.  You can be easily misunderstood as text doesn’t clearily show emotion or intent.  It is always better to error on the side of caution when communicating via text.
  • Keep your jokes to yourself.  Jokes dont communicate well over text.
  • Don’t write emails when you are emotional.  Whether you are mad, upset, or sad, try not to write when you are on edge.  You will regret what you say later.
  • Create clear succinct subject lines.  Quick and to the point.
  • Respond Quickly. This one can’t be stressed enough. Even if you are too busy to give a full reply, let the person know that you received their email, and you will be replying in full soon.
  • Answer all questions in the email.  If someone asks you 2 questions, don’t just answer 1 and ignore the other.  That forces the person to repeat the question and get frustrated.

These all may seem like common sense, but they are easy to forget when you are writing to coworkers you deal with every day, or are friends with outside of the office.  Try to help out the people you communicate with by following these tips, and let us know of any tips you know in the comments.