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Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction

February 21, 2022 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

For most people, email is a window into what’s changed—what’s important and urgent. But if you open your swiftly-filling inbox first thing in the morning, you’ll find a hundred and one disruptions in the offing. It’ll be hard to settle your mind down and focus.

Don’t use email to source your morning to-do list. Responding to others’ needs and bouncing from task to task can derail you from what’s more important or more difficult—researching something, writing, planning, thinking, problem-solving, for example. Do those things first, when you’re freshest.

'Never Check Email In The Morning' by Julie Morgenstern (ISBN 0743250885) Productivity consultant Julie Morgenstern wrote a popular book about this theme: Never Check Email In The Morning (2005) prompts you to find a way to start checking mail less often. Morgenstern argues that email-free time in the morning will snowball into a productive day.

If you must check email first thing in the morning—say, when your job involves communicating with people—set a time limit and look for just those pieces of information that’ll help you forwards.

Idea for Impact: Put yourself in the driving seat; don’t let events drive you

Morgenstern addresses the underlying discipline you need for how you prepare—or fail to prepare—to address the daily influx of demands on our attention. Intentionally choose to do something that requires your single-minded attention, whether relaxing or productive.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. How to Email Busy People
  2. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  3. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress
  4. Easy Ways to Boost Your Focus & Break That Awful Multitasking Habit
  5. The Simple Life, The Good Life // Book Summary of Greg McKeown’s ‘Essentialism’

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Communication, Discipline, Email, Getting Things Done, Time Management

5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy

May 20, 2020 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

So here you are with a great product, service, idea you’d love to offer to the world. You have, everything is ready, you are ready to start and declare about it to the world. You know your next step should be a brand new email campaign. Though the creation of a strong and unique marketing copy is not an easy task. Where should you start? How to create the context? How should it look like? All these questions are piling up before you have even touched your keyboard.

Fortunately, you don’t have to start from scratch on your pursuit. The art of email marketing copy has been exciting for decades now. You don’t have to be an expert to master this technique. Of course, it is constantly changing and evolving. Though, the key ideas are ever the same. So here are our five tips on writing polished email marketing copy.

5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy

Know Your Audience

First and foremost, you have to decide who your target audience is. If you try to make your email copies appealing to everyone they will most likely fail. Why? An email copy that tries to lure in a wide range of people is never personal. It plays safe, the text is too abstract and the appeal is too weak.

Now, you actually define who is that person you want to sell your idea to. This way you’ll know how to speak directly to that person. This is your target audience now. You need to customize your emails in accordance with the needs and interests of your audience. You are expected to use the language that your audience uses and images that will speak to them directly. Honestly, it is not that hard to do once you have the image and full understanding of the people you are speaking to. Know who they, what they like, what they do and see how your product/idea of service can benefit them. If you sincerely believe that your offer can make their life better, they will feel it in your emails.

Work on that subject line

Once you know who you are addressing your emails to, you are good to write. But here is the trick. No matter how well written, shiny and pretty the body of your email is, people may not even see. Why? Because there is always a chance they will not open your email, to begin with. A person may see a new unrecognized email address in their box and just delete it or send it to spam right away.

People these days are very particular with their time, they don’t like wasting it for no good reason. So, to prevent this from happening to your emails you gotta have a killer subject line. People usually do not look further than that. Thus, your subject line is the key to your success – us it wisely. Create a line that intrigues people. It should promise them a positive outcome, a reward for trusting you in opening the email. You can play with people’s fear to miss out on a good opportunity. Ensure them that their life will benefit from the email that is only one click away. Of course, perfecting subject line writing is a tough job but it requires nothing more from you than time, patience, and practice.

Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy

Don’t Neglect the Preview

On the same not here, be sure to think of the preview text. Usually along with your subject line a.person can see the first few words of your text so keep that in mind. It will tell your potential clients about the context of your email. A few words can give away your written style, the tone for the conversation, and much more. So don’t lose this opportunity for empty words. Start your email nice and strong, leave your readers wanting for more.

Make it Bright and Shiny

Once you have the attention of your readers of is important to maintain it. Even if you have convinced them into opening your email nothing stops them from deleting it within the first few seconds. There are many reasons why this can happen. First, bad grammar and poor language. Nothing looks more unprofessional than that. Second, they are simply not interested in what you are offering. Thirdly, the email does not appeal to them or it is hard to read. That doesn’t take much to fix this issue. All you need to do is to set the right tone for the conversation. Pick an appropriate style, for instance it can be a formal style for a business offer or conversational for other occasions. The body of the email must be short and sweet; with nothing extra but yet thoughtful and well designed. Your paragraphs should be short. Each of them must carry its own main idea and conclusion. Just find a minute to check your text on plagiarism, this plagiarism checker is a game changer. Don’t forget to use it for a better result. Also, try to use strong verbs and active voice. This indicates confidence and reassurance.

Set the Goal Right

Once the email is open and read (by the way, congratulations on this victory) your potential customers should be left with the feeling like they know what to do about all the information they have just received. This means that you need to include an instruction to their further actions. Though before you can do that you need to settle in what goals you are pursuing with this email. Do you want them to buy something? Do you want them to learn more about your product/service? Do you want them to spread the word? What is it exactly that you want from them and why are you writing this in the first place? These questions have to be answered once you start writing.

It will be such a shame to lose customers whose interest you have sparked all due to some confusion in further actions. You must gently guide your readers into the next phase of your marketing strategy. Thus, set the right goals before you start writing and insert it in the summary of your email. That can be a link to your website, a button for subscription, or anything else you want them to do.

Conclusion

We hope you have enjoyed our brief take on the email marketing tips. We know how challenging it can be to start your own business. Though we can assure you that with the right product and good marketing strategy anything is possible. The power of nice and polished email marketing copy is hard to overestimate. A good email can work wonders on your sales as long as you write with a full understanding of why and how you are doing it. So don’t be hesitant to start! Go on, grab your pen or a laptop, and give it a go. We wish you good luck in all your beginnings!

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Here’s a Tactic to Sell Change: As a Natural Progression
  2. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  3. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  4. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress
  5. Benefits, Not Boasts

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Communication, Customer Service, Email, Personal Finance, Thought Process, Writing

A Great Email Time-Saver

November 29, 2019 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

When you’re trying to schedule a meeting with someone, make it easier for them to respond by proposing one or two choices in your initial email: “How about 9:00 AM on Tuesday?” or “Are you available on Tuesday at 10:00 AM or on Wednesday at 3:00 PM?”

Don’t give them many options (“any time next week”) or, worse yet, don’t ask them to leaf through their calendar and suggest a time (“I know you’re busy. Let me know when you want to meet.”)

Keeping it brief and specific maximizes the chance that one of your suggested times will work out, and they’ll quickly say “yes” without further iteration.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Don’t Let the Latecomers Ruin Your Meeting
  2. At the End of Every Meeting, Grade It
  3. How to Decline a Meeting Invitation
  4. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  5. Stop asking, “What do you do for a living?”

Filed Under: Effective Communication, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Email, Etiquette, Meetings, Time Management

How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress

January 19, 2018 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

The recipe for staying on top of your email is to be ruthless about what you send and receive, and to focus on how you process your inbox. Here are thirteen practices that may help you be in command of your inbox.

  1. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress Turn off all new email notifications.
  2. Limit the number of times you access your email.
  3. Avoid checking your email during the first hour of the day. Work on something that requires your energy and focus.
  4. Don’t have your email software opened … keep it closed until it’s time to “do” email.
  5. When you “do” email, follow the “Process to Zero” technique. Merlin Mann, the productivity guru who popularized this technique, emphasized, “Never check your email without processing to zero.” Handle every email just once, and take one of these actions: delete or archive, delegate, respond, or defer.
  6. If you can process an incoming email in a minute or two, act on that email immediately, using the Two-Minute “Do-it-now” Rule.
  7. For any email that requires inputs or deliberation, start a reply email, and file it in the “Drafts” folder of your email software. Set aside a block of time to crank though all such draft emails.
  8. Tell people with whom you communicate the most that you intend to check your email intermittently. Encourage them to telephone or drop by if they need a quick response.
  9. If you’ve been dreading a large backlog of email, consider deleting everything that’s over three weeks old. If the contents of any of those emails were of any consequence, somebody would have appraised you of their substance.
  10. Reduce the number of emails you send. Decrease the number of people you carbon-copy on emails. Consider meetings or telephone calls for more effective interaction.
  11. Curb the number of email messages you receive. Ask to be removed from irrelevant newsgroups, and unsubscribe from marketing emails. Learn how to use the “filter” feature on your email software.
  12. Don’t get sucked into replying to every email. Reply only to those that are of relevant to your priorities. Let other communicators follow up with you if they need a reply.
  13. Empty your inbox by the end of the day and process every message.

Idea for Impact: Don’t let an overflowing inbox be a big distraction (read my article on the Zeigarnik Effect.)

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Zeigarnik Effect: How Incomplete Tasks Trigger Stress [Mental Models]
  2. Everything Takes Longer Than Anticipated: Hofstadter’s Law [Mental Models]
  3. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  4. How to Email Busy People
  5. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Communication, Email, Procrastination, Stress, Tardiness, Time Management, Work-Life

Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day

April 15, 2016 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day

Email, instant messages, and alerts have evolved into our primary mode of communication. From project management to socializing, everything at work and in our personal lives centers on electronic messages. Many of us have found the unending tide of these messages unmanageable.

Research has shown that checking messages just a few times a day can help reduce stress and prevent the feeling of being incessantly ‘invaded’ by emails.

If you feel weary, annoyed, and unproductive from a daily deluge of messages, try the following techniques to regulate your electronic communication.

  • Turn off alerts on all your devices. Productivity studies have shown that people take 15 minutes on average to return to serious mental tasks (thinking about a project, writing reports, or debugging computer code, for example) after being interrupted by an incoming email or an instant message.
  • Maintain a zero inbox, i.e. consistently process all incoming email and get your inbox to zero messages. See my previous article on this productivity technique.
  • Set up and use subject-specific folders to hold your incoming and sent messages. This makes it easier to retrieve emails later.
  • Relieve Inbox Stress and Email Overload Do not check emails continually throughout the day. Instead, process only three times a day: once in the morning, once during lunch, and then again before going home. Don’t waste the most productive hours of your day doing email.
  • Reserve time to focus on email. Set a time limit on your activities and blast through the messages without interruption. Stop when the time runs out. (Remember Parkinson’s Law: work will expand to fill the allotted time.)
  • When you process email,
    1. If you can respond to a message in less than two minutes, do so right away.
    2. If a response may need more than two minutes or you must look up information, defer it. Leave the incoming email in your inbox or file it in a ‘Draft’ folder. Dedicate the last email session of a day to respond to such emails and clear the Draft folder.
    3. Delete, file, or delegate.
    4. Process all emails and fully clear your inbox by the end of the day.
  • Tell people you correspond with the most (your boss, employees, peers) that you check email only a few times a day. Let them know that if they need to reach you immediately, they could come over to your desk or call you. If possible, encourage them to follow your email discipline.
  • Limit off-the-clock correspondence. Don’t make a ritual of catching up on work email after dinner or during the weekends.

Idea for Impact: If your inbox is driving you crazy, some discipline can help you process—not just check—emails and mitigate some stress.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. How to Email Busy People
  2. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  3. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress
  4. A Great Email Time-Saver
  5. Don’t Say “Yes” When You Really Want to Say “No”

Filed Under: Effective Communication, Sharpening Your Skills Tagged With: Communication, Email, Networking, Time Management

How to Email Busy People

October 2, 2015 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

How to Email Busy People

When you ask something of somebody, one of the cardinal rules of the “art of the ask” is to make it as convenient as possible for that person to respond to your request. This is especially true if you’re asking something of a busy person.

When you email busy people proposing a meeting, don’t give them a range of options with the intention of being considerate of their busyness.

  • Don’t be longwinded: “I’m available any time on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon except from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM when I have an appointment with my dentist. Let me know when works best for you.”
  • Don’t give them a whole bunch of options (“… any time this week”) or, worse yet, don’t ask them to leaf through their calendar and suggest a time (“I know you’re busy. Let me know when you want to meet.”)

Instead, keep your ask as brief and simple as possible. Make it easy for busy people to respond by offering few choices: “How about 9:00 AM on Tuesday?” If you know their Tuesdays or mornings tend to be busy, you may propose one alternative: “Are you available on Tuesday at 10:00 AM or on Wednesday at 3:00 PM?” If they’d like to meet with you, they’ll glance at their calendar and say “OK.” If neither of your proposed times works, they’ll suggest another time.

Idea for Impact: Avoid imposing more busy work on already busy people.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  2. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  3. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress
  4. 5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy
  5. Never Give a Boring Presentation Again

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Communication, Email, Networking, Time Management

What Everybody Ought to Know about Writing Better Emails

August 18, 2015 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Concise Guide to Writing Better Emails

Over the last decade and a half, email has evolved into the modern organization’s primary medium of communication. One survey estimated that professionals tend to spend one to three hours per day reading and writing emails, and waste half of this time reading trying to interpret ineffectively written emails. Poorly written emails are a result of weaknesses in style and structure.

Poor style is characterized by improper spelling and grammar, meandering and complex sentences and abstract, technical or indirect language. Style is a function of formal education, developed primarily through practice.

In contrast, poor structure refers to disparity between logical sentence order and the reader’s comprehension of those sentences. Often, the central argument does not develop over the course of the email. Consequently, the email’s goal is unclear. Though poor structure is more pervasive, it is also easier to correct.

In this take-away from my “Write Right Emails” workshop, I provide a few guidelines to improve your the style and structure of your emails.

Write for Impact

  • Before you compose an email, address two key questions: (1) “Why am I writing this email?” and (2) “What do I expect the reader to do and when?”
  • Compose your email from the reader’s point of view. Make it easy for him/her to understand immediately why you have sent that message what response or action you expect.
  • Be brief. It saves everyone time and drives action. Summarize information such that your readers are more likely to read the email and actually respond. Attach all supporting material or offer to provide details if the reader is interested.
  • Make each paragraph’s first sentence as clear and persuasive as possible. Assume that the reader will read only the first sentence before deciding if he/she is interested in the second sentence and beyond.
  • In each paragraph, make your most important point first before providing details. The reader will better understand the major (abstract/summary) ideas first before he/she is presented with the minor (constituent) details.
  • Make your emails count the first time. Anticipate any missing details that could cause an extended back-and-forth. Anticipate any supplementary information the reader may need.
  • Do not rush to send emails. Dedicate time to proofread each message. You can usually improve the wording, make a point more concisely, or generally improve. Do not give your readers an excuse to misread you.

Use Great Subject Lines

  • Use Great Subject Lines State your email’s objective in a meaningful subject line. Give readers a clue as to what your email is about and, more importantly, your expected response.
  • Include two components in each subject line: [Context/Project] + [Message summary/Action required] E.g., “Need MATLAB help: how can I calculate variance,” “Competitive pricing problem: recommended solution.”
  • Avoid indistinct and elusive subject lines: “Hi,” “One more thing …,” “FYI,” “Can you do this,” or, “Help, please???”
  • Prefix the subject with ‘URGENT’ if the matter is pressing.
  • Try composing all-in-the-subject-line emails. E.g., “Friday’s lunch: rescheduled to 1:00 PM [eom]” or “Reminder: budget reports due today at noon [eom].” Within your team, adopt a few standard practices and abbreviations (e.g., EOM for end of message) in your team.
  • When replying to emails, change the subject if the thread’s topic has changed or if the original subject was too vague.
  • Do not discuss multiple subjects in a single message. Send multiple emails, each with its own meaningful subject line.

Improve your Writing Style

Improve your Writing Style

  • Keep sentences short. Use fifteen or fewer words per sentence. Use simple vocabulary. Avoid jargon and buzz words.
  • Limit paragraphs to four sentences. Each paragraph should not be more than one inch tall on a computer screen’s display.
  • Limit your entire email to one screen size; the reader should not have to scroll vertically or horizontally to read your entire email.
  • Break longer messages into bulleted or numbered form.
  • Use the active voice (e.g., “I appreciate your thoughtfulness and assistance”) and avoid passive voice (“Your thoughtfulness and assistance are greatly appreciated”). Active voice is direct, simple, and more concise.
  • Personalize your emails: Use “I,” “you,” “we,” or “Mike from Quality Assurance” as subjects of sentences instead of “our company,” or “the Quality Assurance team.”
  • Compose emails in Microsoft Word while writing, editing and proofing text. Then copy your messages to your email software.
  • In Microsoft Word’s “Options” dialog box, activate all the “Spelling & Grammar” settings. Enable the ‘Check grammar as you type’ and ‘Check grammar with spelling’ options. Select ‘Grammar & Style’ from the ‘Writing style’ drop down and click on the ‘Settings’ button. When proofing text, use “Tools”-“Spelling and Grammar” or the keyboard shortcut F7 to check spelling and grammar.
  • In Microsoft Word, turn on “Readability Statistics” in the “Spelling and Grammar” options dialog box. After the spelling and grammar check (see above tip), Word displays the Readability Statistics dialog box. For better readability in technical writing, target a Flesch Reading Ease score of 60 to 70 and a Flesch—Kincaid Grade Level of 8 to 9.
  • Do not write in ALL CAPS. This is the digital equivalent of shouting. In addition, ALL CAPS are harder to read.
  • Avoid SMS/texting language and acronyms such as ‘u,’ ‘afk,’ ‘ty,’ ‘jk,’ etc. Use normal capitalization. Use correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Avoid unnecessary exclamation points.

Observe Proper Email Etiquette

  • Keep language professional and courteous. Email tends to be a relaxed medium. Still, avoid humor, criticism, sarcasm and informal language. Be mindful of your tone. Email tends to transmit anger more easily than other emotions. Do not reply in anger.
  • Avoid emails that simply say “thanks,” “got it,” “see you at the meeting,” “you’re welcome,” “glad you got it,” or “Great, I’ll see you too.”
  • Be selective in your choice of recipients. Have a purpose for every addressee. Use “TO” and “CC” to differentiate between readers who have action items in the email and readers for whom the email is merely informative. Never use the “BCC” field. Do not overuse “reply to all” – include just the appropriate readers.
  • Email Etiquette When forwarding or replying to a thread, trim everything irrelevant to keep the conversation going.
  • Keep attachments small. Use alternative means of exchanging large files.
  • Avoid prolonged conversations over email. Problems are often easier to defuse using a more personal means of interaction. If you have difficulty saying something via email, pick up the phone or if possible, talk to your recipient in person.
  • Have a face-to-face meeting or telephone call if a topic (discovery and problem solving, especially) involves a lot of discussion, debate, or data exchange.
  • When requesting a routine action from an employee, copy his/her boss as a courtesy. When requesting a special (time-consuming) action from an employee, first write to his/her boss and request for the employee’s time. It is not wise to circumvent the boss.
  • Do not “copy up” (copy someone’s boss) as a means of coercion. If you have not gotten a response to an earlier email, call the person.
  • Email is a public and permanent record and could be used in legal proceedings against people and organizations. Do not state anything that may be potentially hurtful or damaging.
  • Do not use your company’s email account to send private messages. Your company owns the content of your company email account.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. 5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy
  2. How to Write Email Subject Lines that Persuade
  3. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  4. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  5. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Email

How to Write Email Subject Lines that Persuade

October 7, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

How to Write Email Subject Lines that Persuade

Writing great email Subject lines is the single most important skill you can develop to improve your effectiveness with email communication. The Subject line is the first—and occasionally the only—element of an email that readers notice. By writing a persuasive subject line, you can help your readers identify the importance of your message and drive action.

Here are a few suggestions to write a great Subject line in every email:

  • State the objective of your email in a meaningful Subject line. Give your readers a clue of what your email is about and the response you expect.
  • The best Subject lines constitute the two key attributes of the email: [Context / Project] + [Action required / Message summary] E.g., “Need MATLAB help: how can I calculate 3D distance,” “Alternator repower: recommended solution,” and “Thank you for your insightful comments at the customer forum on Friday.”
  • Avoid indistinct and elusive Subject lines like “Hi,” “One more thing…,” “FYI,” “Can you do this,” or, “Help, please???”
  • Compose the Subject line after you compose the body of an email. The process of writing the body of the email will help clarify the key message you want to convey and the action you expect.
  • Prefix the Subject with an ‘URGENT’ if the matter is urgent.
  • Do not write the entire Subject line in ALL CAPS—this is the digital equivalent of shouting. Moreover, phrases in ALL CAPS are harder to read.
  • For shorter quick messages, try composing brief, all-in-the-subject-line emails. E.g., “Friday’s lunch: rescheduled to 1:00 PM [eom]” or “Reminder: feedback reports due by noon. [eom].” Adopt a few standard conventions and abbreviations (e.g., EOM for end of message) in your team.
  • When replying to emails, change the Subject line if the context of an email thread has changed during the course of the thread or if the Subject line in the original email was irrelevant or unclear.
  • Avoid discussing multiple topics in a single email. Send multiple emails, each with its own, meaningful Subject line.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Michael Dell’s Email Practice
  2. 5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy
  3. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  4. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  5. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Email

Email Tips: Delegating to Another’s Employee

July 15, 2009 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Effective Delegation

Here are six guidelines to delegate work to an employee who does not directly report to you. These guidelines are applicable even when you delegate to one of your employees’ employees.

  • When requesting a routine work from an employee, copy her boss as a courtesy. Such requests must be components of the employee’s work plan or previously agreed to by her boss.
  • When delegating special or time-consuming work to an employee, first write to her boss and request for the employee’s time. Do not go around the boss.
  • Provide all the necessary inputs and describe what you expect, and how and when you expect results. Be specific. Ask for timely updates.
  • If you have not gotten a response to an earlier delegation email, call or visit the person. Confirm that the employee understands your expectations. Ask for a status update.
  • Do not “copy up” (copy the boss or, worse, HR) as a means of coercion. Work with the employee directly to resolve problems before elevating your concerns to her boss.
  • Avoid prolonged debates or arguments over email. Problems are often easier to defuse using a more personal means of interaction. If you have difficulty in saying something via email, pick up the phone or walk up to the other and talk to her.

More on Effective Delegation

  • Delegate outcomes, not just tasks
  • On failing to distinguish accountability from responsibility
  • Four telltale signs of an unhappy employee

Wondering what to read next?

  1. Making It Happen // Book Summary of Larry Bossidy’s ‘Execution’
  2. How to Stop “Standing” Meetings from Clogging Up Your Time
  3. How Can a Manager Get Important Things Done?
  4. Do Your Employees Feel Safe Enough to Tell You the Truth?
  5. No One Likes a Meddling Boss

Filed Under: Managing People Tagged With: Delegation, Email, Great Manager

Michael Dell’s Email Practice

April 15, 2007 By Nagesh Belludi Leave a Comment

Ideas for Impact: Michael Dell's Email Practice Michael Dell is the founder, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Dell, Inc. [NASDAQ: DELL], a leading computer-hardware business. Michael started his company at age 19 out of a dormitory room at the University of Texas at Austin. Last year, the Forbes magazine estimated Michael Dell’s net worth at $15.5 billion and ranked him ninth in a list of the 400 richest Americans. Michael Dell, currently 41, is the primary benefactor of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, a charitable foundation that focuses on children’s education and health programs in the United States, India, and other geographies.

In an essay entitled “Secrets from Successful CEOs,” author and investor Mark Breier identifies Michael Dell’s email communication style. This essay is part of the book “Leading Authorities in Business,” edited by Marshall Goldsmith and James Belasco.

Michael Dell’s Email Practice

Michael Dell understands that the key to email is keeping the exchanges fast and short. He replies to nearly every message in several hours. He raises brevity to an art, never sending a three-word answer when a single word (‘yes,’ ‘no,’ ‘thanks,’ or ‘sorry’) will do. He reduces clutter by copying only those who really need to see a copy, and he delegates ruthlessly via email: “I’m copying Jane Smith on this. She’ll follow up with you by two this afternoon.” Keeping emails fast and short facilitates action—and results.

Call for Action

Effective Email Communication Skills Email is one of the most efficient—albeit often misused—forms of communication. For higher productivity with your email, focus on these essential steps.

  • Be as succinct as possible. State the objective of your email in a meaningful subject line. Explain the context and describe what you expect from the recipient at the earliest point in the body of the message.
  • When replying to emails, include just enough of the thread or any preceding communication to help the recipient understand the context. When attaching supporting material—a report or a project proposal, for example—include an excerpt or a relevant summary in the body of the message.
  • Copy only those “who really need to see a copy.”
  • Re-read your composition before sending the message. Anticipate any supplementary information the recipient could use to take action on your expectations. Include additional references if necessary.

Attention to such details during composing emails can help your recipients grasp the intent of your communication and facilitate prompt action and quick results.

Credits: Michael Dell’s photo courtesy of Dell, Inc.

Wondering what to read next?

  1. 5 Crucial Tips for Writing Polished Email Marketing Copy
  2. How to Write Email Subject Lines that Persuade
  3. Checking Email in the Morning is an Excuse for Those Who Lack Direction
  4. Save Yourself from Email Overload by Checking Email Just Three Times a Day
  5. How to Organize Your Inbox & Reduce Email Stress

Filed Under: Effective Communication Tagged With: Email

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About: Nagesh Belludi [hire] is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freethinker, investor, and leadership coach. He specializes in helping executives and companies ensure that the overall quality of their decision-making benefits isn’t compromised by a lack of a big-picture understanding.

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RECOMMENDED BOOK:
Liminal Thinking

Liminal Thinking: Dave Gray

Strategic design consultant Dave Gray manual on addressing complex challenges by recognizing ignorance, seeking understanding, and creating positive change.

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Unless otherwise stated in the individual document, the works above are © Nagesh Belludi under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND license. You may quote, copy and share them freely, as long as you link back to RightAttitudes.com, don't make money with them, and don't modify the content. Enjoy!