How to Write an Email (No, Really) | Victoria Turk | TEDxAthens

Summary

In this engaging talk, Peter van de Ven offers a modern guide to email etiquette, emphasizing the importance of reducing email stress. He advises keeping emails concise, respectful, and clear, avoiding overly formal or presumptive language. Van de Ven also covers the proper use of greetings, sign-offs, and the 'CC' and 'BCC' features to manage email expectations effectively. He encourages setting boundaries by sending work emails only during work hours to promote a healthier work-life balance.

Takeaways

• 📧 Email has become a primary mode of workplace communication, yet it can be a source of stress due to its volume and the time it consumes.
• 📉 The philosophy of good email etiquette is to reduce the burden of email by sending fewer emails and to fewer recipients.
• 👋 Greetings in emails have evolved; 'Hi' with a first name is often appropriate, reflecting a more casual and direct communication style.
• 🌅 Avoid excessive salutations in ongoing email threads; a simple rule is to greet again with each new day of conversation.
• 📝 Keep the email body concise and to the point, respecting the recipient's time, but avoid crossing into rudeness through brevity.
• 🤝 Use language tools and emojis to convey sentiment in emails, as nonverbal cues like facial expressions and tone of voice are missing in text.
• ✍️ When signing off, 'Best wishes' is the recommended approach, avoiding overly formal, intimate, or casual alternatives.
• 📝 Include a clear and concise subject line that summarizes the email content without unnecessary embellishment.
• 🔄 Understand the 'CC' rule: use the 'To' field for primary recipients expected to respond and 'CC' for those included for information.
• ⏰ Adhere to work hours when sending emails to respect recipients' personal time and to reduce the stress of constant availability.

Q & A

What is the main principle of the email-etiquette philosophy presented in the script?

The main principle of the email-etiquette philosophy is to reduce the burden of email as much as possible.

Why does the speaker suggest avoiding 'Reply All'?

The speaker suggests avoiding 'Reply All' to reduce the number of emails sent and to minimize the recipients' workload.

What is the recommended greeting for emails in a modern work context according to the script?

The recommended greeting for emails in a modern work context is to use 'Hi' followed by the recipient's first name, as it's more casual and friendly.

Why should you avoid using titles and formal language like 'Dear' in most work emails?

Using titles and formal language like 'Dear' is suggested to be reserved for more formal situations. Most work emails are more casual and similar to post-it notes, so a simple 'Hi' is sufficient.

What does the speaker mean by 'follow the sun' in the context of ongoing email threads?

The phrase 'follow the sun' means that if an email conversation spans several days, it's polite to greet the recipient again after each new day begins.

What is the key goal when writing the body of an email according to the script?

The key goal when writing the body of an email is to keep it concise and precise, respecting the recipient's time and reducing the stress of email.

Who coined the term 'Inbox Zero' and what does it represent?

Merlin Mann, an American writer and podcaster, coined the term 'Inbox Zero'. It represents a method for managing and staying on top of unread emails.

Why is brevity in emails important but also potentially problematic?

Brevity in emails is important to reduce the burden and stress of email communication, but it can be problematic if it crosses into rudeness or lacks necessary information for the recipient to respond or act.

What is the recommended way to use emojis in emails according to the script?

Emojis are recommended in emails to communicate sentiment effectively, but they should be used judiciously and are more appropriate in less formal contexts.

What are the guidelines for a proper email sign-off according to the script?

The guidelines for a proper email sign-off are to use 'Best wishes' or similar phrases like 'Best' or 'All the best'. Other sign-offs are considered too formal, too intimate, too casual, or tacky.

Why is 'Thanks in advance' considered a bad practice in email sign-offs?

'Thanks in advance' is considered presumptuous because it implies gratitude for an action before the recipient has agreed to perform it, which is not the proper way to express gratitude.

What is the 'CC' rule as explained in the script, and why is it important?

The 'CC' rule states that primary recipients who are expected to respond should be in the 'To' field, while others who are included for information or courtesy should be in the 'CC' field. This rule is important because it clarifies expectations and reduces the burden of unnecessary responses.

When should you use 'BCC' in email according to the script?

You should use 'BCC' when you need to protect recipients' identities or avoid a 'Reply All' situation, and also to remove someone from an ongoing thread without notifying everyone.

What is the speaker's advice on when to send work-related emails?

The speaker advises to send work-related emails during work hours to avoid causing unnecessary stress and to respect the boundaries between work and personal time.

Outlines

00:00

📧 Email Etiquette 101

The speaker, an expert in digital communication, challenges the audience's assumption that they are proficient at email communication. Despite years of experience, many people unknowingly commit email faux pas. The speaker promises to guide the audience through modern email etiquette to reduce email stress and improve efficiency. The importance of email as a primary mode of workplace communication is emphasized, and the speaker's philosophy is introduced: to minimize the burden of email by reducing the number sent and making them easier to handle for recipients.

05:02

🌞 Greetings and Body of the Email

The speaker discusses the appropriate way to greet recipients in emails, suggesting a casual approach like using 'Hi' and the first name, reflecting the evolution of email behavior. The body of the email should be concise and to the point, respecting the recipient's time. The speaker references Merlin Mann's advice on assuming the recipient is smarter, more caring, and busier than oneself, which should guide the tone and content of the email. The speaker also warns against overly brief emails that can come off as rude and emphasizes the importance of clarity and emotional context to prevent misinterpretation.

10:03

🙅‍♂️ Avoiding Email Pitfalls

The speaker advises against using overly formal or intimate sign-offs, recommending 'Best wishes' or similar phrases. They critique the presumptuousness of 'Thanks in advance' and suggest that proper email etiquette involves clear and considerate communication. The speaker also touches on the use of email signatures, advocating for simplicity and professionalism. They discuss the importance of the subject line, advising to keep it simple and reflective of the email's content without overusing the sense of urgency.

15:07

📬 CC, BCC, and Sending Timing

The speaker explains the proper use of 'CC' and 'BCC' in emails, emphasizing that primary recipients should be in the 'To' field, while those who are included for information only should be 'CC'd. They provide a rule of thumb for using 'BCC' to protect recipients' identities or to manage large email threads effectively. The speaker also stresses the importance of sending emails during work hours to respect recipients' personal time and to set healthy communication boundaries.

🌟 Conclusion and Call to Action

In conclusion, the speaker calls for the audience to adopt good email etiquette to make digital communication more efficient and pleasant. They express gratitude for the audience's attention and conclude the talk with applause, signifying the end of their presentation.

Keywords

💡Email etiquette

Email etiquette refers to the conventions and standards for using email in a professional and respectful manner. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of reducing the burden of email by following proper email etiquette, such as keeping emails concise and to the point, which aligns with the video's theme of making digital communication more efficient and less stressful.

💡Inbox Zero

Inbox Zero is a method for managing one's email inbox by ensuring that all messages are dealt with and cleared out, aiming for an empty inbox. The speaker mentions this concept as a solution for those with an overfull inbox, suggesting it can significantly improve one's email management and reduce stress, which is a key point in the video's advocacy for better email practices.

💡Concise

Conciseness in email writing means being brief and to the point without unnecessary details. The video underscores the value of concise emails, stating that they respect the recipient's time and reduce the stress associated with email overload. The speaker advises against 'waffling' and 'jargon,' instead promoting clarity and directness in communication.

💡Emotional intent

Emotional intent in emails refers to the sentiment or feeling that the sender intends to convey. The video discusses the challenges of expressing emotions in text-based communication, where nonverbal cues are absent. The speaker suggests using language tools like punctuation and emojis to communicate emotional intent effectively, preventing misinterpretation and ensuring that emails are not perceived as rude or dismissive.

💡Sign-off

A sign-off in an email is the closing phrase used before the sender's name, serving as a polite and professional ending. The video provides guidance on appropriate email sign-offs, recommending 'Best wishes' and discouraging overly formal, intimate, or casual alternatives. The sign-off is highlighted as a critical component of email etiquette that sets the tone for the message's conclusion.

💡Subject line

The subject line in an email is a brief summary of the email's content, typically displayed in the recipient's inbox. The video stresses the importance of keeping subject lines simple and descriptive, advising against overly long or humorous subject lines that may not accurately reflect the email's purpose. This aligns with the video's broader message of clarity and efficiency in email communication.

💡CC (Carbon Copy)

CC, or Carbon Copy, is an email feature that allows sending the same message to additional recipients who are not the primary addressees. The video introduces a 'CC rule' which suggests that primary recipients should be in the 'To' field, while those who are included for information only should be in the 'CC' field. This rule is presented as a way to manage expectations and reduce unnecessary responses, contributing to the video's theme of email efficiency.

💡BCC (Blind Carbon Copy)

BCC is an email feature that allows sending an email to multiple recipients without disclosing the other recipients' identities to each other. The video discusses appropriate uses of BCC, such as protecting privacy or preventing a 'reply-all' chain. The speaker also suggests using BCC to remove recipients from ongoing threads when their input is no longer needed, demonstrating thoughtfulness and a reduction in email clutter.

💡Reply All

Reply All is an email option that allows a recipient to respond to an email and have their reply sent to all other recipients on the email chain. The video cautions against the indiscriminate use of 'Reply All,' which can lead to email chaos and increased stress. The speaker's advice to use 'Reply All' judiciously is part of the broader narrative on managing email communication responsibly.

💡Boundaries

Boundaries in the context of the video refer to setting limits on when and how one engages with email, particularly in relation to work hours. The speaker argues for the importance of not sending work emails outside of regular work hours to reduce the constant pressure to be available and responsive. This concept of boundaries is integral to the video's message of creating a healthier and more balanced approach to email communication.

Highlights

The importance of email etiquette in reducing the burden of email.

Email has become the default communication method at work, but it can be stressful.

Guiding principle: Make email as easy as possible for the recipient to handle.

Using 'Hi' and first name is acceptable in most work emails.

Avoid using 'Dear' and titles unless it's a very formal situation.

Don't overuse greetings like 'Hi' in ongoing email threads.

Keep the email body concise and to the point to respect the recipient's time.

Merlin Mann's advice on assuming the recipient is smarter, cares more, and is busier than you.

Avoid one-word emails as they can come off as rude.

Include all relevant information in the first email to avoid follow-up emails.

Use language tools like punctuation and emojis to convey emotional intent.

The correct way to sign off an email is with 'Best wishes' or similar phrases.

Avoid presumptive sign-offs like 'Thanks in advance' as they can be off-putting.

Keep email signatures simple and professional.

Craft clear and concise subject lines to summarize the email content.

Use the 'CC' field appropriately to manage expectations and reduce email burden.

Strategic use of 'BCC' can protect recipient identities and prevent email chaos.

Set boundaries by sending work emails only during work hours to reduce stress.

Encouraging the spread of good email etiquette to make digital communication easier.

Transcripts

Translator: Carol Wang Reviewer: Peter van de Ven

I'm going to teach you how to write an email.

No, seriously.

You probably think that you're an expert emailer.

You‘ve been writing emails for years, decades.

You spend most of your workday

composing, sending, receiving and replying to emails.

You live in your inbox.

But I'm here to tell you you're probably doing it wrong.

Don't worry

because in the next 15 or so minutes,

I'm going to guide you through a whistle-stop tour

of the latest in email etiquette.

First, let's rewind a little bit.

Why do I care so much about what happens in your Inbox?

For many of us, email has become the default way

that we communicate with each other at work.

And for good reason:

It's quick. It's easy. It's convenient.

But here's the thing.

Although email is ostensibly the easiest way

to communicate in a work context,

it's also intensely stressful.

It may well be the fastest way to get things done,

and yet it just feels as if it takes up so much time.

You rarely hear of anyone complaining that they have too few unread emails.

As a result, my email-etiquette philosophy

is guided by one fundamental principle:

reducing the burden of email as much as possible.

At its simplest,

this can mean cutting down on the number of emails you send

and sending them to fewer people -

"Reply All" at your peril.

And when you do send an email,

you should make it as quick and easy as possible

for your recipient to deal with.

So with that golden rule in mind,

let's write an email together, starting with "The Greeting."

Hi and a first name is probably fine.

It's 2019. We're all friends here.

Email behavior has evolved.

Once upon a time, it may have been customary

to treat email like a digital version of a snail-mail letter

and to address your recipient with "Dear."

But nowadays, most emails, especially in a work context,

are more like post-it notes than a lengthy missive.

In fact, email started out that way.

The very first messages,

sent from computer to computer on the ARPANET network in the 1970s,

before the Internet as we know it today,

were more practical updates from colleague to colleague

than perfectly worded letters.

So save "Dear" and using someone's title

for more formal situations,

such as an official briefing or an invitation.

You also don't need to keep saying hi

every time you email someone on an ongoing thread,

particularly if it's very active.

If you're having a back and forth conversation, treat it as such.

You don't need to keep interrupting with hi, hi, hi, hi -

My rule of thumb is to follow the sun:

if your conversation spans several days,

then say hi again after each new sunrise.

So that was the easy bit.

Let's get down to business and into "The Body" of our email.

Now obviously, you could be emailing about all sorts of different topics,

and trying to communicate all sorts of different sentiment.

So there's a lot of leeway here, but there are still some rules.

First, let's revisit our number one goal:

reducing the burden of email, reducing the stress of email.

That means "Keep it to the point" -

concise and precise is your mantra.

When it comes to email,

good etiquette is not about the fancy flourishes,

it's about respecting other people's time.

When I was researching my recent book on digital etiquette,

one of the people I spoke to

was an American writer and podcaster Merlin Mann.

He's the person who coined the term Inbox Zero.

If you haven't heard of it,

it's basically a method for staying on top of your unread emails.

I won't get into it here,

but if you have an overfull inbox, it will change your life.

Anyway, when I asked him

what he thought constituted good email etiquette,

he said, "Assume that everyone you're communicating with

is smarter than you and cares more than you

and is busier than you."

I think that's excellent advice.

So no waffling. No jargon. No small talk.

You do not have to ask after your recipients health

every time you email them.

That said, it is possible to be too concise.

There's a line where brevity crosses over into rudeness.

Have you ever received an email like this,

perhaps from your boss or a superior at work?

[OK.]

Or maybe one like this?

[Received.]

Or like this?

[Agree.]

The classic one-word email.

And if you think that's bad,

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is apparently known

for forwarding messages from customers to his employees

with not just one word, but one character:

[?]

the question mark.

Can you imagine receiving that email?

In these cases,

brevity has almost certainly crossed the line into rudeness.

No one is too busy to say please and thank you.

Instead, these emails seem more like a power play.

Someone who emails like this

is trying to show you how busy and important they are.

And that's not very polite.

Another problem with this is the lack of useful information.

The email is short, but it's not necessarily easy to deal with.

What are you supposed to do with that?

As a recipient,

are you expected to respond, to take some sort of action?

It's really not clear.

When you email, to reduce the burden of email,

you should be putting all the relevant information

and make sure it's included the first time.

Double emailing is a big faux pas.

As well as a lack of practical information,

the problem with the super succinct email is the lack of emotional information.

This is a major problem with email

as with many forms of digital communication.

Because it's conducted by text, it's very difficult to convey sentiment.

You don't have any of the nonverbal cues that we use

when we're speaking to each other in real life

to communicate your intent,

like facial expressions, tone of voice or body language.

And that makes it easy for email to be misconstrued.

Is that "Okay," happy, sad, begrudging, angry?

It can be hard to tell.

So when you write an email,

read it back and check that it can't be misinterpreted,

and make use of all of the language tools that we do have

to try to communicate our emotional intent.

Even a simple punctuation mark can make a big difference.

Take a look at these.

Which of these would you most like to receive

and which would you least like to receive?

I'd most like to receive the second one. That's a very enthusiastic thanks.

I'd least like to receive the third one.

There's something so final seeming about that full stop, isn't there?

And by the way, this is why I'm very pro-emoji in email,

provided it's not a very formal context.

Emoji are great at communicating sentiment;

they're basically a digital stand-in for facial expression, after all,

and all the tools that we do have to make sure that we're not misunderstood,

we should be making use of.

Next, let's get on to one part that so many people get wrong:

The Sign-Off.

I'll keep this one simple.

There is a correct way to sign off an email.

It is "Best wishes."

"Best" and "All the best" are also acceptable.

Anything else?

Sorry, no.

"Yours sincerely"?

Too formal.

"Yours"?

Too intimate.

"Cheers"?

Okay for friends, but too casual for a professional context.

"BW"?

Tacky.

"Kind regards"?

Just a bit pompous.

Those are all terrible,

but my absolute least favorite email sign-off is

"Thanks in advance."

What's wrong with "Thanks in advance"?

It's incredibly presumptive -

you can't thank someone for doing something

before they've agreed to do it.

That's not how gratitude works.

When you say "Thanks in advance" in an email, you're basically saying,

"Hey, by the way, you have no choice whether to do this or not."

(Laughter)

So stick to "Best" or "Best wishes," and you can't go wrong.

And you do need to write it out every time.

Relying on your automated signature to do it for you

is the height of laziness.

Plus, it won't show up in some email clients.

While we're on email signatures, actually,

if you do decide to use one, keep it classy -

no colorful word art,

no JPEG logos that are going to confuse everyone's antivirus,

and no deep and meaningful quotes.

Just your name and, if necessary, your contact details.

So we've got our email, a few finishing touches:

the subject line.

Keep it simple.

It should do what it says on the tin, or in this case, in the email.

Summarize your email in a few key words.

Don't write a full sentence because it will get chopped off.

Don't try to be funny

and do not overplay the urgent card.

"CC."

There may come a time

when you want to send an email to multiple people at once,

at which point you may wish to make use of the "CC" feature.

Now, if you take one thing away from this talk,

let it be the "CC" rule.

I didn't come up with the "CC" rule.

In fact, it's so important

it's even included in the go-to etiquette bible, Debrett's.

The "CC" rule states

that primary recipients of an email, who are expected to respond,

should go in the "To" field.

Other recipients of an email, who are not expected to respond

and who are included as a courtesy or for their information,

should go in the "CC" field.

Next time you receive an email that's been addressed to multiple people,

take a look:

Are you a primary recipient, or are you on "CC"?

Do you need to respond?

What I love about the "CC" rule

is it makes the expectations on your recipients so clear.

If you're in the "To" field, you should respond;

if you're on the "CC" field, you should not respond.

And it also reduces the burden of email

by hopefully cutting back on the number of emails sent.

Those people on "CC" don't have that awkward moment

where there wondering, "Am I expected to pitch in here?"

The "CC" rule will change your email life.

What about your other option, "BCC"?

Now, "BCC" can be a bit sneaky,

so there's only a few specific cases where you should use it.

One is to protect your recipients identity

if you're emailing sensitive information to multiple people, for example.

Another is to avoid a reply-all-pocalypse.

We've all been there: someone sends an email to too many people,

people all start hitting "Reply All" -

chaos.

Good use of "BCC."

And for extra credit,

an absolutely top email etiquette move

is to move someone to "BCC" if their input is no longer required

on an ongoing thread.

How this works is if the thread's getting a bit out of control

and you know someone is not needed to respond,

you send one last message moving them to BCC.

They're blissfully removed from any future chaos.

And you are an email etiquette superhero -

you've just selflessly saved their inbox from unnecessary emails.

We're just about ready to send our email.

Or are we?

I've saved probably the most important thing till last

because when you send an email

should be as much a consideration as what you put in it.

First things first,

if it's a work email, stick to work hours -

no 2 a.m. emailing in your pajamas.

One of the major causes of email stress

is that we can't get away from it.

It demands so much from us,

especially now that we're all walking around

with mini computers in our pocket.

We can check email anywhere and anytime.

But instead of feeling free, we feel trapped.

We're expected to be always contactable.

We can never leave.

The only way to buck this trend is to start setting boundaries.

Unless you're a heart surgeon,

you really probably don't need to be on call all the time.

In fact it's probably better if you're not -

I've checked my work email in some incredibly inappropriate places.

So just stick to work hours.

Now, you could say that it's on the recipient to decide

when they check their email.

You can send an email at 2 a.m.

but they don't have to answer until the following day.

The problem is

that's a lot easier said than done.

When you've got an unread email notification

burning a hole in your pocket,

it's very tempting to check it.

Therefore it's on the sender to set a reasonable norm

and exhibit good email etiquette in doing so.

So that's our email completed.

I hope you'll join me in spreading good email etiquette

and making our digital lives a little bit easier and friendlier.

So all that's left for me to do then

is to sign off.

Thank you!

(Applause)