In times of home office in particular, emails as corporate communication are always a cyber threat. Here is an overview of the five worst mistakes in email communication.
In view of the increasing number of corona cases, a “second wave” in autumn is a likely scenario. It is still unclear what containment measures will be taken this time. The first lockdown phase showed that efficient communication with and between employees is a decisive success factor for companies. If it takes place via e-mail, it is often slowed down by errors that can be easily avoided. We have compiled the most important ones for you here.
1. The subject trouble
The classic among e-mail errors: the sender did not worry about what the subject should be. The principle should always be that the subject of the message clearly emerges from the subject. If this is not the case, the recipient is initially groping in the dark: What is it about? Do I have to process the email immediately?
Unclear subject lines often result from the bad habit of simply clicking "Reply" on an old e-mail, even though the issue is new. If the recipient does not add the new subject himself, he has little chance of finding the e-mail again later. In addition, he will be annoyed by the sloppiness of the sender, which burdens him with additional effort.
Tip: When you send a new message that ties in with an older email conversation, simply update the subject and continue the conversation - this will keep continuity and the new topic is still clear.
2. Answers from the road
When communicating by email, the sender usually does not know the current mood of the recipient. Even one wrong word can cause irritation. There is also no possibility of corrective action based on the recipient's reaction. E-mails require a sure instinct and should always be written with care. E-mails that are written quickly are therefore associated with a high level of risk. This is particularly high for e-mails on the go. Also because of the above-average number of typing errors, these are usually a horror for the recipient.
Tip: If you are writing a "difficult" e-mail, it is better to press Save again before sending. Take a second look later if you can.
3. The chain email chaos
Many shy away from the effort to briefly summarize the status of a discussion before contributing new ideas. In this way, e-mails that are getting longer and longer are sent back and forth. The recipient then has to laboriously read the previous discussion from bottom to top. Chain emails are particularly critical when they are also sent to recipients outside of your own company. Fast forwarding often overlooks the fact that one of the addressees should perhaps prefer not to see certain parts of the e-mail traffic, for example because confidential information has been mentioned.
Tip: To avoid the so-called e-mail ping-pong, in which the sender and recipient send numerous e-mails back and forth to clarify complicated matters, you should simply give us a short call. A clarifying call is usually much more efficient in such a case and avoids misunderstandings.
4. Who is responsible?
The attempt to shift responsibility to the group through as large a distribution board as possible is also very popular. However, everyone involved can only lose. Anyone who always communicates with a huge mailing list only ensures that no one identifies with the topic in the end. It is true that every now and then a recipient feels called to answer an e-mail, even though he has only received a copy of it. It would be more of a coincidence that this is the actually addressed recipient. If he doesn't feel like having a conversation with 20 people, he can hardly be blamed.
Tip: The recipient list should generally be as short as possible and be well organized. Use the first line of address only for those you expect a reply from. The CC address bar is intended for the recipients who you want to inform about the topic, but from whom you do not expect an immediate answer.
5. The urgency disaster
One advantage of e-mails is that the question and answer can be uttered at different times. Sender and recipient write or reply when they have time. In this way, the conversation can be inserted into different work rhythms. However, some people lack the patience to do this. Without waiting for an answer, they send countless e-mails one after the other, also with read receipts and an urgency note.
Such behaviors can almost be understood as coercion, so one should urgently refrain from it. As a rule, they do not lead to quicker answers. As a rough guide, around two to five e-mails a day are okay if you work closely together. Read receipts are unpopular with many people and the remark “urgent” should also be used sparingly.
Tip: If you expect or need a response within a certain (realistic) time frame, write this information in the body of the message.
Secure e-mail communication protects the company
Setting a good example yourself and not committing the mistakes mentioned is the first step in making e-mail communication more transparent, more efficient and more pleasant for everyone involved. Colleagues can also be convinced if they carefully point out any email errors that have been committed. This not only spares your nerves, but ultimately also cuts time and costs.
E-mail communication is also made easier by a clear and easy-to-use e-mail client that is a pleasure to work with. One such is eM-Client - not least in combination with Microsoft 365. It combines functions for e-mail, contacts, calendar, tasks, notes and chat in a single solution and also works perfectly with Google. In the recently introduced, new version 8, not only has the user interface been optimized again, but e-mail encryption is now even easier to set up.
More on this at EMclient.com
Via eM Client
eM Client was founded in 2006 with the clear goal of developing a complex email program with a modern and simple user interface. The desktop app supports all major email providers, offers many different features such as calendar, contacts and chat functions, and is intuitive and easy to use. More than 1,5 million people and companies already trust eM Client to manage their emails. More information at www.emclient.com.