Why our texts are good and our email stinks.

Ad for New Departure Ball Bearings 1956. Illustrated by Fred McNabb

 
Email is a big problem. Experts say that it causes more work, saps productivity, and might even make us stupid. We know that email is the “business letter” of tomorrow, a quaint technology that’s fun to ridicule (preferably on long jetpack jaunts).  But, while it’s likely that email will eventually be overtaken by rapidly evolving instant messenger technologies like the up-and-comer Slack,  the  email corpse isn’t cold yet. Most of us are going to be “hitting send” for years to come.

In the meantime, here’s two IM strategies that will help you write better emails.

1. Ditch the background. With IM, you can't give the whole back story, and with well organized enterprise systems, you don’t need to. Your reader knows she can easily get background in a searchable archive.  In email, if you HAVE to provide some background, put it at the bottom of the email, and label it as background.

2. Think before you write. Even though it’s called “Instant” Messaging, IM takes planning.  Unless you’re drunk, or twelve, your texts are usually pretty concise, at least at work. That’s because you do two things before you text: 1. You think. 2. You boil down. 

 But most of us don’t think before we email, and we never boil anything down. Here’s an example:

Dear Mary,
I talked to Steve about the database password for the Mariana workflow. I need the password to update the TPS reports before the all hands meeting. He said that I could find it in the QUARTZ file because that’s where the sales team accesses it. He told me that last year he did have trouble accessing the QUARTZ file one time and that you were able to help him locate the password. I have been trying to get into the file but it’s not opening for me. Can you help me access the database password for the Mariana workflow?
Jennifer

Read between the lines. Here’s what Jennifer was really saying:

Dear Mary,
I haven’t given this email one second of thought before I started to write it. Now I’m going to tell you the story of
why I am asking you the question I haven’t asked you yet. It’s a sort of a mystery story, because you have no idea
why you are reading this. (I hope you enjoy mysteries!) So come along with me on my rambling thought journey
until I figure out what I want to say.   I know you have a lot of time and I promise, I will get to my point soon.
Oh yeah, can you help me access the database password for the Mariana workflow?
Jennifer
  
Here’s what Jennifer should have said:

Dear Mary,
Can you help me access the database password for the Mariana workflow? I have been trying to get into the file
but it’s not opening for me. Steve told me that you helped him get access in the past.
Here’s why I ask
I talked to Steve about the database password for the Mariana workflow. I need the password to update the
TPS reports before the all hands meeting. He said that I could find it in the QUARTZ file because that’s where
the sales team accesses it.
Jennifer
 
So when you "hit send," think IM
Ditch the background or move it to the bottom. Remember to “think and boil down, just like you when you text.  Your readers will thank you.  Well,maybe not, but they may actually read your emails.