Executive Training Series - Effective Email Writing Video Lecture | Learn and Master: Business Writing - Communication

in our fast-paced digital world most
professionals rely on the speed and
convenience of email as part of their
daily communication in fact email has
become an integral part of our everyday
business from one-on-one communication
to widely broadcasted mass emails but
just because it's fast that doesn't mean
you should allow it to be sloppy as with
any written business document the way
you write email is crucial
behind the send button is still a
writing exercise email must adhere to
the basic principles of writing and
communication to be effective without
this foundation communication with your
colleagues and customers is bound to be
ineffective here's the situation
Diana Dietz is the public relations
spokeswoman for a Georgia manufacturer
which is debuting a new facing that
instantly updates the look of dated
kitchen appliances she's at the biggest
trade show of the year in New York City
and the local supplier who was supposed
to deliver and set up kitchen appliances
for her booth has failed to deliver at
the last minute diane has written an
email message to her supervisor and at
Lesk to tell her what has happened
let's begin by evaluating an email
message subject homeshow update a net as
you know I'm at the home show at the
armory on 7th Avenue in New York City
among all the latest innovations for the
home in fact I've seen some new windows
that refract maximum natural light now
let's examine what you should do start
with a summary provide the background in
details and then complete your email
with the desired outcome let's take each
of these components apart to understand
how to use the pyramid method of writing
in real life start by creating a summary
statement when writing an email message
or any business communication
you should always identify your reader
and your main message before you write
then target your message to that
particular reader or group of readers in
other words tell your readers right away
what they most need to know place your
most important piece of information at
the top of the pyramid and then follow
it with details that support what you
have said the pyramid approach may
initially seem too abrupt or you may
think your directness will upset the
reader understandably you don't want to
seem rude or aggressive so you can
mitigate that factor with these words
start your email with these words I want
to tell you that then ask yourself what
exactly do I need to tell this
particular reader next provide the
background include informational details
and discuss the desired outcome or
action once you have narrowed down what
your reader most needs to know you can
follow with details that support or
explain your reason for saying what you
did in your opening statement to do this
simply pose six one-word questions ask
yourself who what when where why and how
you won't necessarily need to answer all
the questions only those appropriate to
your current situation how did it occur
what effect did it have what have you
done or are you doing about it now we
will address the rest of the pyramid as
it relates to our earlier example using
our sample email as a guide here are the
questions to answer in each pair
mid-segment
summary what Diana most needs to tell a
net background the circumstances leading
up to the situation being reported in
this case a supplier was supposed to
deliver appliances information details
the need-to-know information the
supplier did not deliver the appliances
outcome action the result and any action
that needs to be taken we don't have any
appliances for the tradeshow booth so we
need to find another supplier fast when
readers retrieve their email the first
and only information they see about your
topic is the subject line consequently
that subject line must encourage them to
open and read the message this does not
given at any idea of the importance of
the message that follows the subject
line is particularly important in email
messages because a reader will often use
the subject line to judge which messages
he or she will read first a much more
informative subject line would have been
now a net Dianna's manager will be much
more likely to open the message right
away because she will be concerned that
there is a problem next let's create our
summary statement telling the reader two
things one what the situation is or what
has happened and two what the impact is
or will be to summarize the key
information Diana should have written I
want to tell you that Bill Thomas the
supplier we hired to provide appliances
for the homeshow booth in New York
confirmed this morning that he is unable
to deliver because his truck broke down
often in short letters and email
messages the background is combined with
the summary as has happened here Bill
Thomas the supplier we hired to provide
appliances for the homeshow booth in New
York confirmed this morning that he is
unable to deliver because his truck
broke down this paragraph presents the
problem and its impact and also answers
the four questions that normally are
answered in the background who bill
Thomas the supplier where Home Show in
New York when this morning why his truck
broke down information details what how
in our information details section we
will answer what has happened and what
has been done how can the situation be
remedied in Diana Dietz report what
happened has been covered how the
situation can be remedied is addressed
in two short sequential sentences to
complete the booth I need a new supplier
who can deliver and set up a
refrigerator arrange and two microwaves
before 7:00 p.m. tomorrow the units do
not need to be operational so setup will
not include connecting to a power supply
by concentrating only on need-to-know
information what the reader needs to
know to fully understand the situation
these two sentences have eliminated the
unnecessary
nice to know an irrelevant details
presented in Diana's original message
the outcome action in this example we
need the reader to do something so Diana
could have written I have told the
on-site show coordinators that we will
be expecting another delivery tomorrow
please find someone capable of handling
a rush delivery and set up and let me
know who to expect and when as soon as
you can
to begin your email create a summary
statement next be sure to provide the
background after the background be sure
to include informational details then be
sure you discuss the desired outcome or
action finally be sure your subject line
conveys the actual subject matter