Like any tool, CC can be misused. When people rely too heavily on using this field, unintended consequences might pop up, including:
Overuse of the CC Function in Email Is Unnecessary and Could Be Clogging Your Inbox Read More »
Henry Stone, a senior staff member in a regional accounting firm, could not understand why his colleague, Tim, was upset with him. Tim had CC’d Henry on an email Tim had written to a different manager. In the email, Tim requested that the manager review and analyze a report he planned to send to a
to/cc/bcc: Which is correct? Read More »
We’ve all been on the receiving end of emails that make us feel condescended to or disrespected, and it’s never a pleasant experience. What’s unfortunate is that the writers of such emails may not have intended any harm. They might have thought they were being direct and straightforward, or perhaps they were in a hurry and didn’t consider the impact of their words and punctuation choices. They might have even thought they were being respectful.
To prevent being the source of someone else’s online suffering, we must be careful with our language choices. Writing messages with a demeaning or passive-aggressive subtext is counterproductive to achieving success.
To retain the goodwill of your readers, steer clear of these phrases:
Want to Gain Respect? Write Respectfully Read More »
Interruptions plague today’s business readers more than ever before. Between notifications, emails, text messages, voicemails, and physical interruptions, most people find it challenging to sit down and read through a written message. Research indicates that our brains carom off in another direction about every 44 to 50 seconds when we are engaged with a screen.
Yet as business writers, we want our readers to read through our messages and comprehend them. An important project may depend on everyone reading a report. A major sale may hinge on the prospect reading our proposal.
To defeat digital distraction, we need to understand it and work around it when we write.
5 Ways to Cut Through the Noise and Write to Distracted Readers Read More »
Your subject line is your opportunity to hook the reader’s attention. If you are a marketer, you are forcefully aware of the subject line’s power. According to HubSpot Research, 65 percent of surveyed marketers say that subject lines have the greatest impact on open rates. For morale’s sake, for courtesy’s sake, and for the practical benefits that come from including a subject line in every email — not just the ones whose open rates we are measuring — it pays to always include a subject line.
