Al P. Writing effective e-mails

E-mail is one of today’s most important and frequently used means of communication. When writing an e-mail you must make sure that you are writing an effective e-mail and not a long over written message that loses focus and loses your readers interest. Most people today have plenty of e-mail experience in their personal lives, but when it comes to e-mail in the work place it’s a totally different story. The type of e-mail your writing should be represented by your “writer’s voice”, or in other words tone, choosing the right voice is extremely important if you want to compose a clear and concise message for your readers. According to an article written by Kathy Gentile, There are three types of voices that may be used when writing an e-mail:

· Casual Voice- This type of voice should be used in non-formal messages to friends or family members.
· Semi-Formal Voice- This type of writing style should be used in serious or less formal business e-mails. It can also be used between colleagues in work-related discussions. You should focus on the message you want to get across and keep the personal side out of it.
· Formal Voice- This is the strictest of the three voices. When using this voice; salutations, complete sentences, and correct grammar should all be taken into account. This style should be used on applications, e-mails to your superiors, and e-mails of introduction.

When writing an e-mail you need to keep it short and sweet, and get to the point as soon as possible. You should also always keep in mind what your reader may already know, there is no point in providing extra information if they already have it. You should also always remember to treat your e-mails as public documents. Here is the basic structure on how to write an e-mail, according to the book, Technical Communication in the twenty-first century.

· Subject line- keep it concise and specific
· Recipients- Make sure you choose your recipients wisely
· Salutations- start with dear, followed by recipients name or title
· Message Content- When writing a business e-mail it should only contain important information that pertains to the subject at hand.(All e-mails should start with background info, then important details, and lastly pertinent information.)
· Signature- Should include your name, and in formal situations, job title and phone number.
· Attachments- You can attach reports, proposals, and contracts to your e-mails.(reference attachments in your e-mails)

References:
Dorbin, Sidney I., Christopher J. Keller and Christian R. Weisser. Technical Communication: In the Twenty-First Century. Upper Sadle,NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.

Gentile, Kathy. "The Essentials of Writing Effective Emails ." 3 June 2005. Googobits.com. 8 November 2009.