As a copywriter who uses the medium a lot, I have noticed the difficulty of creating nuanced email messages. Even after you have figured out how you feel or what you think about a particular topic, it can be a challenge to produce a communication that achieves your goal succinctly and elegantly. (Actually, the same can be said of writing in general, which is why good writing can produce so much delight.)
The folks at Manta, a small business site I’ve recently discovered, offer frequent tips for business communicators. One recent one was entitled “Don’t Use Email When You’re Angry.” The writer notes that while email generally doesn’t convey emotions, it does an excellent job of transmitting anger. Because your annoyance comes across even when think you’ve done a good job of suppressing it, you’re well advised to wait a day or so before firing off a blast. (In my opinion, the same goes for telephone use.)
Though it can be disarming to confess to anger and disappointment to your reader, the fact is that most of us are not very skilled in playing that hand. And in business, it’s probably better not to take the chance. So take a deep breath, make a sincere effort to understand what’s going on, seek advice if you need to. And make sure you’re not still simmering before you take action.
By the way, I’ll be writing about email this month, so let’s get a dialogue going. I’d be interested in your email successes and blunders.
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