How strong are your daily emails?

How many emails do you send a day? 10? 20? 50? When you think about it, that’s a lot of conversations your organisation is having. Especially when you add on all the mails your colleagues or staff are also sending.

I recently came across this great article that recommends putting together an email style guide which I think is an excellent idea! Some of the suggested inclusions include:

The importance of a clear subject line and examples of these.

Whether emoticons are allowed.

How to use the cc and bcc fields effectively.

When to send e-mail vs when to call or visit in person.

As a freelancer, I rely heavily on email contact with my clients as I don’t often see them face to face. It’s always interesting how each client differs to the next in their approach to email – even when they work in the same team.

Some are highly responsive and always answer the asked question properly. Others give obscure answers that  leave me feeling unsure. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone was on the same page and able to utilise the superb communications tool that email really is. A style guide sounds like a great idea to me. What do you think?