Many people use email as one of the main tools of communication. In the period of COVID-19 pandemic, it’s becoming even more popular. That is why it is important to know some common mistakes in email management that need to be avoided to gain more effective communication.
Mistake 1. Write the entire text of the message in the subject line. The subject of the email indicates the main idea, what the recipient should pay attention to in the first place. You can also indicate the urgency of the message if the case is urgent.
Mistake 2. Do not specify the subject of the letter. If there is nothing in the subject line at all, the recipient doesn’t understand what the letter is about, how important it is, urgent, etc. Even when you send a single file or a link, you need to specify some keywords in the topic. Then, if necessary, it’s much more convenient to look for such messages in the mailbox. It is also confusing when there is the whole sentence in the subject line without any mention of what it concerns. It can be difficult to understand how to respond to such letters and help people as quickly as possible.
Mistake 3. Attach the document with the text instead of writing this text in the message. Sometimes we receive letters without subject and text inside but with the attached document. This document contains the letter itself. After all, it is inconvenient and requires additional actions: create a document in Word, write the text, save it, and attach to the letter. While there is a special place for the subject and the body of the email. Additional files unnecessarily just burden the communication. Also, the files can contain viruses. Either the recipient may simply not see the document, or it may not open it for technical reasons: low internet connection, unsupported form, etc.
Mistake 4. Leave a message unanswered. The good old principle “Better late than never” applies here. Agree, is it nice when the email you sent, in which a certain resource, time, and maybe emotion were invested, receives a response? Even if it’s the usual “Thank you”. In general, it is advisable to let the sender know about the receipt of the email because there are different cases, emails get spam, etc., and your interlocutor may not know whether the message was delivered. And yet, even if the question is irrelevant to you, it is also better to report it – then, no other answer will be expected.
Mistake 5. Sending emails too late in the evening or on the weekends. Notification from an incoming email in the middle of the night can be quite annoying. Some email services have a great feature when you can schedule emails for any day and time, even while you are on a vacation. If the question doesn’t require an immediate action, do not bother your recipient on days-off. This is especially true during remote work when all boundaries and modes have been erased.
These are just some of the most typical mistakes people make when communicating via email. While you can use your email account actively for corresponding with colleagues and clients, it is always a good idea to reduce the number of emails you are sending. As an alternative, you can try a voice messaging app that will definitely save you time for writing long emails.