With our work set-ups drastically changing since the start of the pandemic, there have been things and trends that have experienced a rise in popularity: web conferencing, remote work software, work-from-home arrangements, among others. But there is one thing that has been experiencing a resurgence: the lowly email. Who would have thought that in the third decade of the 21st century, email would be back in style? Wasn’t everyone in agreement by the late 2010s that email has overstayed its welcome and with the birth of instant messaging, cloud storage, and teleconferencing, that we have seen the last of email’s utility?
But then, since the pandemic started, with people not seeing each other in the comfort of their cubicles in offices, messaging someone for important office issues just seems so flimsy. Emails suddenly have risen in prominence since their promise of stability and providing of “receipts” to their senders and receivers feels like they are something all of us in this COVID-stricken world badly needs. So with that in mind, make sure you brush up on some email skills if you haven’t already.
How to Schedule an Email
Isn’t it pesky when someone from New York emails you in LA at 8:00 in the evening? Well, we can’t really expect people to consistently remember that not all of us live in the same time zone, but it is in bad taste to send emails to people who have already finished their work schedule or in some cases, haven’t even woken up. If you’re someone who observes email etiquette because you don’t want to disturb people, then you need to master the art of scheduling your emails. Also, if you are someone in marketing who wants to send out a promotional email at the right time when the recipients of your material will most likely open them, then you should know the importance of email scheduling. Email apps and programs allow senders to specify a time and date when they want their emails to be sent, so there’s no need to stress on this skill.
Scheduling emails is essential when dealing with clients in different time zones. A message sent at 7PM could be delivered to people in the middle of the night. Instead of setting your clock to an ungodly hour, it’s way more favorable to schedule your emails for different time zones. If you want to reach your clients, you should be on top of their inbox.
(Via: https://scheduledapp.com/here-are-4-reasons-why-you-should-schedule-your-emails/#:~:text=Scheduling%20emails%20is%20essential%20when,emails%20for%20different%20time%20zones.)
Do you know how to end your email?
Are you one of those people who, after typing paragraphs after paragraphs of text, are suddenly in a dilemma of how to end your letter? Isn’t it just weird to hit send on an email that has no closure? Yes, there is actually a correct (more like proper) way of ending an email, which actually is directly connected to what email you are sending. An email congratulating someone on a new project cannot definitely end the same way a complaint email will. It all boils down to the email’s intent.
Once you’ve written an email, you might be stymied by the best way to close it. In fact, the signoff can be the most difficult part of an email. One sentiment is universally welcome, however, and that’s gratitude.
Did you complain, apply for a job, write a business email, express your concerns or recommendations? You should consider the situation you’re in to keep a proper tone and choose the right words.
(Via: https://reverbico.com/blog/how-to-end-an-email/)
CC and BCC: What are those for?
You may already be avid users of the CC and BCC fields in your email app and think that they are similar, but do you know that these two serve totally diverse purposes? You cannot afford to confuse CC and BCC as doing so may lead to embarrassing or unfortunate problems that can totally be avoided had you known their difference. So, if you’re about to send an email, pause and know the difference between these two so you will know what to use from now on.
If you’re a stickler for email etiquette, only the main recipients of the email should be in the To field. That’s because those recipients are more likely to be impacted by the email’s content and expected to take action in some way. CC recipients, however, tend to be secondary recipients, meaning they are CC’d on the email to keep them informed of what’s going on. These recipients aren’t necessarily required to respond or take action.
(Via: https://influencermarketinghub.com/cc-bcc-in-email/)
Is your Out-of-Office Autoreply game at the expert level?
Most of us regard the out-of-office auto-reply message as just an afterthought because you cannot simply wait for that holiday to come! Why put so much thought into it when your mind is already on thoughts of endless lounging in your bed and not checking your officemates’ emails or messages every 15 minutes (if you’re thinking of images of the beach, snap out of it, we’re still in a pandemic)? Take note though, that auto replies need to be done right, or you might expose some sensitive information to recipients of your email.
You can’t predict how quickly your coworkers will be able to respond to emails in your absence, so make sure you don’t promise their immediate assistance. On that note, ask your colleagues for permission before you provide their email addresses and phone numbers in your out-of-office message; they might have a big project coming up that will make them too busy to serve as your substitute.
(Via: https://www.roberthalf.com/blog/salaries-and-skills/vacation-time-how-to-craft-an-effective-out-of-office-message)
Now that you’ve gotten some essential email skills, time to get advice on laptop issues. If you have a nagging laptop concern, get in touch with us for professional help.