Effective Emails Made Easy By Chelsie Kistner

Well, we don't use pigeons anymore, neither Horse n' Buggy, to send messages to other people in other regions. For that matter, we hardly use paper at all, even when you may be within the same office complex! Today, in the 21st Century, emails are the number one way of communication in the workplace. They include everything from the change of time for a meeting, down to the details of multi-million dollar construction projects. Regardless of the purpose, its crucial to deliver your message in a professional, effective way. Here are a few things I keep in mind, when sitting down to compose an email:

1. Avoid acronyms and abbreviations. Not everyone may understand what they stand for, losing some of the meaning behind your writing.

2. Get to the point, but in a gentle way. Be considerate of others time and feelings. Don't be rude or lengthy.

3.  Show some appreciation. Use words like please and thank you. From what I heard growing up, these words can take you a long way in life.

4. Check your subject line. Make sure it is the topic you are writing on. The reader should have an idea of what the email is in reference to without opening it. Avoid "Hi" or other general, uninformative subjects titles.

5. Plz prufread!...Our fingers can get ahead of us in typing and cause errors we may not have noticed. You should use spell check and make sure you are saying what you wanted to say.