HR spends a lot of time e-mailing employees, managers and execs. Here are some ways to make sure your important info doesn’t get lost in the flood of messages people get every day.
Though most e-mails are written and sent at lightning speed, the key to effectiveness is revision, says David Silverman of the Harvard Business Review.
Here are five things he says to keep an eye on when you read over your written communication:
- Delete redundancies – If you repeat yourself, most readers will start skimming and may miss some important points.
- Use numbers whenever possible – Specific facts and figures hold people’s attention much better than adverbs and adjectives.
- Focus on the strongest argument – If you’re trying to convince the audience to take some kind of action, pick out the most convincing reason and put that front and center.
- Stick to one subject – E-mails with one topic are easiest to read — and better tell the audience what to do after they read it. With too many points, a reader may handle one issue but forget about another.
- Assume nothing – If you aren’t sure all the recipients are clear on a key fact, you’d better explain it.