Email - A Way to Say So Much Without Really Saying Anything at all...

I received an email this morning from a volunteer organization that I work with on a regular basis. Volunteer organizations face many challenges outside of the normal business operations to meet their philanthropic goals.

One of the greatest challenges a volunteer organization faces is ... the volunteers themselves. Many times, volunteers are sending out communications and marketing on behalf of the organization. This means tons of unedited and uncontrolled emails.

I am going to take a moment to vent some frustrations about email. It's so important for these organizations to train and control email communications that use the brand of the organization. I am not mad at the org or the volunteer, I am frustrated at the broken process.

The email I received had a TON of information. Sometimes it feels like my 9-year-old got excited about a school topic and start rambling off everything he could think of about the subject. Whatever comes to mind, he is going to say it. There is no going back, no reflection on what is being said, just a verbal spew into my lap.

The email I received this morning had three different colors and used bold font at various points of the email. It had numbers. It had words in all caps. No greeting. It had six paragraphs. One paragraph was a sentence. The objective of the email: There is a meeting that everyone needs to attend this week. There was an agenda to the meeting with more numbered bullets. At one point there was a small guilt trip to all that didn't attend the last meeting.

The one thing that it didn't contain. The date and time for the meeting this week.

Now, after scouring the email four or five times trying to confirm if I just missed this valuable information, I verify that it's not there.

Here are the two things that probably happened. 1. The author of the email was so busy throwing out every detail that he could think of, that he just forgot the most important information. 2. The author assumed that everyone would know the dates and the information wasn't important to include.

Here is what the email required me to do after I read it. 1. I now have to look for the information that the email didn't give me. I have to search through previous emails or find a calendar with the shared information somewhere on the internet. Multiple clicks later, I will probably find the information. 2. Write a blog post ranting about the umpteenth email that I have received from the same author lacking information.

I have the same communication challenges with my kid's elementary, middle school, and high school educators. This is not a dig at educators. I have found that non-profit, volunteer organizations, and primary education all suffer from the same symptoms.

I learned how to write clear, concise emails with an objective by working in the for-profit business space. Many communicators in business learn quickly and through trials, more work is created when an email doesn't have an objective and lacks relevant information to the objective.

Here are 5 things that EVERY email should contain.

1. The Five W's - Who, What, Where, When, and (w)How

The highest priority of the email author should be to include the five W's in every correspondence. Even if an email lacks proper writing form, etiquette, or an objective, if it has the 5 W's, it can still survive.

I have received emails that contain 4 out of the 5 W's and it's still not quite enough to prevent a time-sucking google search for the last piece of information. Even worse, I will sometimes have to email the author to ask for the missing information. Here's an example:

Hi everyone!

We can't wait to see you at the park on Saturday! Please bring a side dish and a drink as they will not be provided during the meal. You can still choose 1 of 2 options for the main course. The party will start at 1:00 pm and will run until dark!

Thanks!

This is a common example of an email received throughout the school year. There is a committed single activity and many emails full of information that have been spread out over time. One email with all five W's could provide all of the information needed for the activity.

Here is what I read:

Hi everyone (the "who" is implied here, I would guess it's the members of the middle school band and their parents, but if I haven't been keeping up with all emails or facebook chatter, I may not know)!

We can't wait to see you at the park (where? what park?) on Saturday (which Saturday? this Saturday?)! Please bring a side dish (is there a sign up? what if I bring something that someone else brings?) and a drink (will I need a cup?) as they will not be provided during the meal. You can still choose 1 of 2 options for the main course (were these already selected? what are the options?). The party will start at 1:00pm and will run until dark (what time is dark? I have another event that we need to attend after the picnic, when can we leave?)!

Thanks! (who is this from?)

Here is what should have been sent out.

Hi New Chisholm Trail Middle School Band Parents!

This email will provide details about our annual picnic.

We can't wait to see you at Osage Park (1234 South Trail Ave, Olathe Kansas map) on Saturday, September 17th at 1:00 pm. Please bring a side dish or dessert. You can check the signup list HERE for more information. Please sign up for any items that have not been committed on the list. Drinks, cups, plates, and plasticware will be provided with the meal.

There will be a choice of chicken or brisket as the main course. We don't need commitments prior to the meal, just show up and pick your fancy!

The party will start at 1:00 pm and will run until 5:00 pm. We will need assistance for 30 minutes after the party to help clean up. Please let us know if you have additional questions about the event. You can email us at [email protected]

Thanks!

Gena Smith

Party Committee Chair

[email protected]

2. Clear Objective

The email should state its purpose. It can be brief but it is important to see the objective. The objective should be scannable. Many long-form emails now contain TL;DR along the time to highlight the objective. I love this trend. It helps me get to the point. I am for it. if the objective of the email is not easy to spot or isn't present, the send button shouldn't be used.

3. Easy to Scan

This can be related to the tldr. If the object is clearly stated, I can scan the email for the important information. This is typically the 5 W's but it may also include additional pertinent information to the email objective. If you look back at the sample email. The email itself is broken out into paragraphs. It has a nice visual shape. It's easy to scan without visual distractions. You should avoid colors, CAPS, and wordy language.

4. Timely Delivery

The email should be sent with a reasonable timeline for response. I typically give an email 7 days in advance of a required response or reply. I like to give more time so that I can send out a reminder email within 3 to 4 business days of response. It takes up to three formal communications for a message objective to stick with a reader. Keep this in mind when sending an email. Your email will be camouflaged amongst many other unimportant emails. What makes your email important? What makes it stand out?

5. Manners

We expect good manners when we interact in person. I would expect the same in formal writing. You can control the tone of an email by using polite words. You should read the email back to yourself as though having a conversation. If the email doesn't smile, go back and re-write. The quickest way to kill an email smile is by using abrupt and direct language. Don't use all caps, and don't make demands. Some people write to the point however analytical emails and direct writing doesn't translate well and can be construed as offensive. If you can, have someone else read your email before you send it. Ask them for the tone and the impression that the email gives.

Email is such an important tool for communication. We are all subject to it, so it's important to learn how to master your message. It doesn't matter if you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company or a part-time volunteer at a small nonprofit organization. You will build a better relationship through good writing and email communication. You will also save my inbox from my early morning rants!