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YOU SUCK AT EMAILB U T I T ’ S N O T Y O U R F A U L T
I have bad news…
you suck at email.
But…
it’s not your fault.
You were never taught.
To get your driver’s license
you had to sit next to some
guy and prove you could drive
And if you made too many
mistakes, you didn’t get your
license
And if our emailing was like our driving…
We’d all look like this.
And just like our cars are not responsible for the accidents we get ourselves into…
email is not responsible for the disaster that is our
inbox.
We are.
Because we’re using it wrong.
We’re using it for way more than it was
intended to do.
We use email to…
manage our important projects
remind us of what we need to get done
serve as our default task & to-do list
communicate with anyone & everyone
manage everything and anything related
to our work
share & receive all kinds of information
organize a neighborhood
block party
keep up with what’s happening in…
our world,
our industry,
our business,
our local community,
the lives of our friends, family and
aquantinces
& the list goes on*
*and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on,and on, and on, and on, and on, and on,and on, and on, and on,and on, and on, and on and on.
We’re constantly complaining about
our inbox
and yet we can’t stop checking it.
Why?
Because we’re addicted to it.
Seriously.
Email is a drug.
At least, to our brain it is.
It taps into our brain’s natural
dopamine-fueled reward system.
It’s the chemical in your head that
causes us to want & desire things.
It’s stimulated by anticipation and unpredictability.
This is why email is a big dopamine
stimulator.
Because it’s unpredictable.
We don’t know who will email us or when.
So, all day, everyday…
we anticipate the unpredictability of
what might be there that wasn’t there a minute ago
and…
“doing” email gives us a sense
of progress.
A feeling that we’re getting sh*t done.
But it’s an illusion,
because…
there’s a negative relationship between email & productivity.
The more time spent on email throughout the
day, the less productive one feels.
Since turning off, boycotting or
banning email isn’t a (realistic) solution…
let’s get better at it.
really, really goodvlet’s get better at it.
To be
at emailreally, really good
all you have to do…
is follow 7 simple email best practices:
#1 How and when to properly use
(and stop abusing) the “To"
"cc" and "bcc" fields
#2 Exactly what to should think
about before you hit that "Reply
All" button
#3 How to craft awesome and
effective subject lines
#4 Why you should think like
a journalist, not a novelist, when
writing emails
#5 How to expertly use bullets,
numbers and choices to increase
action and responses to emails
#6 Tactics to avoid the vortex of
back and forth replies and long
email threads
#7 The 3 vital pieces of information
that should be in your email
signature
To: cc:
bcc:
1
To: cc:
bcc:
Ask the question:Do they need to take action
or respond in some way?
To: cc:
bcc:
Ask the question:Do they need to take action
or respond in some way? If no… cc them.
When I send an email to one person, there’s a 95% chance I’ll get a
reply. When I send to ten people, the response
rate drops to 5%.
To: cc:
bcc:
If emailing someone with to: OR cc:
don’t put anyone in bcc:
If emailing more than a few friends
put everyone in bcc:(to hide their email)
Give the Gift of:
I’m moving [name] to bcc
when someone doesn’t need to be involved anymore
Reply All:2
Q: When should you use Reply All?
A: Almost never.
Someone transmits good news to
nine people. Do all nine need to see
that you said, “Great news!”?
No, they don’t. Don’t use Reply All.
Meeting organizer asks if everyone is
available Wednesday at 10 am. You have a conflict, but can suggest some
alternatives. Does the group need to
see your availability? Or can the organizer collect the responses, and
propose a new time that will work?
Yes, she can. Don’t use Reply All.
The organizer of a party asks if anyone has a conflict with the middle of January. Does the whole planning party need to know that you
don’t have a coflict? (No.) If it wont work, would it be useful for everyone to know that
we need to keep looking for a good date?
Yes.
Subject Lines3
How to write subject lines that make doves cry
Bad subject lines:
Try to fit the ENTIRE email
into the subject line.
Bad for storage units. Good for
emails.
Subject: Hey
Body: When will you
be in the office today?
Subject:
When will you be in the
office today? EOM
EOM
(end of message)
NNTR(no need to respond)
[ ]
[ACTION]
[SUBJECT][CONTEXT]
[DECISION NEEDED]
[DECISION NEEDED] Picking the new logo today - do you like A, B or C?
[DECISION NEEDED] [NEW LOGO] Due today - do you like A, B or C?
[DECISION NEEDED][NEW LOGO]
[SCHEDULING] Choose Tues. or Wed. @ 5pm
for meeting w/ Jessica
[SCHEDULING]
EVEN BETTER! [SCHEDULING] [JESSICA MEETING]
Choose Tues. or Wed. @ 5pm [EOM]
[SCHEDULING] [JESSICA MEETING]
[URGENT] [msgNETCONOMY] Review and respond by EOD today
[URGENT]
Fix bad subject lines
Be a Journalist
NOT a Novelist
4
Examples of
Main Points Up Front
“We’re going ahead with the
deal. To close it, I’ll need you to
gather three years of financials,
and have them ready by Friday.”
“Our press release announcing
our joint venture with Netconomy
will be released tomorrow. Do you like the headline below?”
“I’ve got a Fortune 500 client who
wants to discuss staff training.
Can you fly to Phoenix for a
Thursday meeting?”
•Bullets 2.Numbers
& Choices
5
Bullets, numbers and choices are a gift to the recipient.
It makes their response
simpler.
Examples of
Bullets, Numbers
and Choices
The following flavors will be ordered:
• Vanilla • Chocolate • Strawberry • Rocky Road • Peanut Butter Fudge
We will visit the following cities, in this order:
1. New York 2. Washington, D.C. 3. Chicago 4. Minneapolis 5. San Diego
Here are our options. Please choose.
1.End all negotiations and terminate contract. 2.Respond with counter-proposal 3.Execute contract. (If this is chosen, please also email signed contract.)
Close The Loops6
Coffee is
for closers!
(loop closers)
Examples
of Open Loops
and Closed Loops
“Let’s get together for lunch. What day is good? Where do you want to
go? Should we invite other departments or keep it a team
meeting?”
Open Loops
“Let’s get together for lunch. I’m thinking Thursday at 11:30 (to
avoid the rush) at Chipotle. Let’s keep it just a team lunch this time, but maybe next time, we’ll invite
others. Work for you?”
Closed Loops
“Here is the full proposal. PLMKYTASAP.”
Open Loops
Useful Signatures
7
3 critical pieces of
information:
1. phone number 2. address 3. blog / recent article
*Can have different
nuances on platforms
like iOS & Android.
One-click calls
One-click maps
Bonus
Tips!
Get hyper(links)
Bonus #1
Check out our press release in PR Newswire:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/digital-advertising-alliance-daa-announces-your-adchoices-consumer-education-campaign-137749828.html
Amateur:
Pro:
Check out our article in PR Newswire.
Stop saying “Thank You”
Bonus #2
NOT THIS
DO THIS
Now go make email awesome for you and everyone you email!
Because now you know:
1. We can use TO, CC & BCC more effectively 2. That we should almost never Reply All 3. How to write actionable subject lines 4. How to write like a journalist, not a novelist 5. The power of bullets, numbers and choices
6. Several ways to minimize long email threads 7. How to create really useful signatures
yooooou suck LESS @ email
Any Questions?
