10 Effective Email Communication Skills for Businesses

Here are 10 tips for effective email communication using interactive video and standard email systems.

Bill just lost a major client. He sent an email to his coworker complaining that his customer was an idiot. The problem is that the customer was accidentally copied on the email. Oops!

From avoiding blatant mistakes like this one to just getting things done, here are 10 effective email communication skills for your business communications:

1. Write clear subject lines. Your subject lines are your announcement. Don’t bury the lead. Subject lines should contain the most important and specific information.
2. Provide clear instructions or calls to action. Let your reader know what action you expect them to take when they read your email. Include information about a timeline where appropriate.
3. Be civil. Emails are permanent records of communication that can be easily forwarded to other people. If you wouldn’t be comfortable saying what you’re writing in an email in front of a group of people. Don’t say it in an email. It can be circulated at the click of a button.
4. Resolve conflicts face-to-face. Email is a poor medium for resolving issues. If you are having a problem with someone, go see them face-to-face.
5. Include video. The addition of video in email lets people see your facial expressions, hand gestures and hear your tone of voice.
6. Ask for feedback to be certain your email is understood. Ask specific questions to ensure that your message was understood.
7. Track open rates and message consumption. For important communications, use a software package that will enable you to see how people engaged with your message.
8. Write the email and then select the recipients of the email. This helps to avoid sending the information to the wrong people.
9. Use a software package that enables you to change your messages. This helps you when you’ve sent the wrong information or need to make changes to your message after you’ve sent it.
10. Proofread. Before you hit send. Read and re-read your email. Check for spelling and grammatical errors.

What’s 1.9 billion? That’s the number of people that send emails. It’s a staggering number! Make sure your emails stand out from the crowd so you get people’s attention and get things done.

Today's blog post written by Brad Gant