atkinson advisor

Next time you have to send an email attachment, try limiting it in size to less than one megabyte. Corporate email systems are programmed to be highly suspicious Of large attachments and may block any email with a large attachment. PDF and image files are usually the biggest offenders. If you can, send a web link to the PDF or image file as an alternative to attaching it.

Dear Microsoft,

We ask that you remove the “Reply to All” button from Microsoft Outlook and your other e-mail programs. If e-mail is the killer app, then “Reply to All” may be the app killer. We’ll explain.

We love e-mail for its ubiquity, speed, and flexibility. It has revolutionized the way we share news with many people at one time.

The dreaded “Reply to All” button makes it far too easy for people to bombard us with responses punctuated by exclamation points: Thanks for the update!!! Way to go team!!!! GREAT idea!!!!! It’s often a race to see who can reply to all the fastest and with the most emotion.

Equally bad, you find yourself caught in a boring e-mail conversation between people trying to one-up each other with witty banter. (No…you’re boring times infinity.)

Eliminating the “Reply to All” will increase our effort. In the end, it will force us as users to be more responsible with our e-mail.

E-mail has evolved into a communication medium of choice, but is it always the best option? Sometimes its important to cut out the middleman (your computer) and have an old-fashioned, face-to-face conversation. Let’s look at the advantages, disadvantages, and right times to use e-mail.

The Advantages. E-mail is immediate and often generates a faster response than other means of communication. E-mail can be more informal and personal. It’s easy to share information with a large audience. And, it’s inexpensive.

The Disadvantages. Unfortunately, the intended tone of an e-mail message can get lost in cyberspace. We do not always convey our thoughts in writing clearly. Long, rambling e-mails that say nothing or terse, one-word responses that require extensive follow-up are commonplace. Likewise, e-mail cannot easily communicate our feelings, voice inflection, and body language.

The Best Option. If you have an important message to deliver, do so face-to-face. With face-to-face communications, issues can be discussed, responses clarified, and potential conflicts avoided. You should always deliver sensitive and confidential information face-to-face. And, never, under any circumstances, write anything in an e-mail that you would not say to someone face-to-face.

E-mail is ideal when distance is a controlling factor; time and speed are essential; and messages are short. But to forge a committed business relationship, only a direct conversation will suffice.

Next time you have trouble starting an important e-mail, try the SMCCIP formula. Use one or two of these ideas to make that e-mail engaging and readable.

• Simple. Keep your messages simple. Focus on one or two key thoughts.
• Meaningful. Only send a message if you have valuable information to share. Don’t just send a message because you think it’s time for someone (client, prospect, contact) to hear from you.
• Compelling. Try crafting a subject line that makes people want to open the message. Instead of “The Latest News From Widget Express,” try “How Widget Express Can Save You 50 Percent.”
• Curious. Take advantage of people’s natural curiosity, but don’t give away all the details up front. If your ultimate goal is to have the recipient take action, give them a chance to do so. Give them a little information, and then prompt them to follow a link or make a follow-up call to find out more.
• Immediate. E-mails have a shorter shelf life than milk. Give the recipient a reason to act now — a deadline, a limited time offer, or a promise of time-sensitive information. If a person puts an e-mail aside with plans to return to it later, you’ve lost them.
• Personable. Finally, let your personality shine through. No two writers and no two recipients are alike. Tailor your message accordingly.

If you have a hard time remembering SMCCIP, just remember “some mail can cause instant pleasure.”