Work Tips with Mark - E-mail
Today’s Work Tips covers a VERY important aspect of any professional employment: e-mail.
E-mail is a fantastic technology, allowing us to exchange ideas and information, and in the workplace, it’s a crucial means of relaying client info, phone numbers of clients, or even send whole documents to your co-workers, bosses, or even those below you (although often you’ll have to follow-through to make sure they received the message).
However, e-mails in the work place are not used to their fullest potential.
First and foremost, Black text in Times New Roman or Arial font is SOOOOOO ealy 00’s. This is a new American workforce. Bright colors and stylish fonts are the new professional fare. Get your e-mailed noticed and get quicker responses with neon colors; if they have to strain their eyes to read it, you’ll be sure the reader remembers what they’re sent. As for font, your text really says a lot about you as a person. If you’re a fancier person, flashy cursive texts may be more your style. The thinner and loopier the letters, the more sophisticated you’ll come across. More fun loving and laid back? Try peppering in Windings on a few words here and there to punch up your messages. Use it on really important words to turn the mundane task of reading an e-mail into a game or riddle.
Also, consider graphics and pictures when sending out mass e-mails. Who wouldn’t want to look at this when opening a message about mandatory meetings:
Pictures like this are not only universally accepted as adorable and great, but help ease the dread inspired by serious, business-related meetings and reminders. To take it a step further, try a .gif for a little video fun!
These pictures are guaranteed to make even the most stoic CEO LOL!
Which brings me to my final point: Abbrevs. or “Abbreaviations” as they’re normally known.
E-mails are meant to be quick, to-the-point relays of information, not long, drawn-out, Dickensian novellas. Why say with ten words what you could say with five letters? This kind of shorthand makes for a faster, more streamlined reading experience for everyone. Even consider making your own shorthand. This will force your coworkers to adopt not only your shorthand, but read up on other abbreviations, thus forcing the whole workplace to save time reading and writing shorter e-mails.
That’s it for today’s Work Tips. Remember, keep those e-mails interesting and the water-cooler crowded!
