Sign up for our Gmail Mastery Course: http://wrk.hk/gmailcourse You suck at email, but it's not your fault. Everyone does! Here are simple tips to perfecting your email etiquette & writing more effective emails. FOR ACTION TAKERS! At the end of the presentation there is a link for a FREE email best practices resource guide download link with a well- crafted list of email best practices & tools that you can share with your team. Topics Covered in this Presentation: 1. How and when to properly use (and stop abusing) the "To", "cc" and "bcc" fields 2. Exactly what to should think about before you hit that "Reply All" button 3. How to craft awesome and effective subject lines 4. Why you should think like a journalist, not a novelist, when writing emails 5. How to expertly use bullets, numbers and choices to increase action and responses to your emails 6. Tactics to avoid the vortex of back and forth replies and long email threads 7. The 3 vital pieces of information that should be in your email signature

1. YOU SUCK AT EMAIL
B U T I T ’ S N O T Y O U R F A U LT

2. I have bad news…

3. you suck at email.

4. But…

5. it’s not your fault.

6. You were never taught.

7. To get your
driver’s license
you had to sit
next to some
guy and prove
you could drive

8. And if you
made too many
mistakes, you
didn’t get your
license

9. And if our emailing
was like our driving…

10. We’d all look like this.

11. And just like our cars
are not responsible
for the accidents we
get ourselves into…

12. email is not
responsible for the
disaster that is our
inbox.

13. We are.

14. Because we’re using
it wrong.

15. We’re using it for
way more than it was
intended to do.

16. We use email to…

17. manage our
important projects

18. remind us of what
we need to get done

19. serve as our default
task & to-do list

20. communicate with
anyone & everyone

21. manage everything
and anything related
to our work

22. share & receive all
kinds of information

23. organize a
neighborhood
block party

24. keep up with what’s
happening in…

25. our world,

26. our industry,

27. our business,

28. our local community,

29. the lives of our
friends, family and
aquantinces

30. & the list goes on*
*and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on,
and on, and on, and on, and on,and on, and on, and on, and on,
and on,and on, and on, and on,and on, and on, and on and on.

31. We’re constantly
complaining about
our inbox

32. and yet we can’t
stop checking it.

33. Why?

34. Because we’re
addicted to it.

35. Seriously.

36. Email is a drug.

37. At least,
to our brain it is.

38. It taps into our
brain’s natural
dopamine-fueled
reward system.

39. It’s the chemical in
your head that
causes us to want &
desire things.

40. It’s stimulated by
anticipation and
unpredictability.

41. This is why email is a
big dopamine
stimulator.

42. Because it’s
unpredictable.

43. We don’t know who
will email us or when.

44. So, all day,
everyday…

45. we anticipate the
unpredictability of
what might be there
that wasn’t there a minute ago

46. and…

47. “doing” email
gives us a sense
of progress.

48. A feeling that we’re
getting sh*t done.

49. But it’s an illusion,

50. because…

51. there’s a negative
relationship between
email & productivity.

52. The more time spent on
email throughout the
day, the less productive
one feels.

53. Since turning off,
boycotting or
banning email isn’t
a (realistic) solution…

54. let’s get better at it.

55. really, really good
v
let’s get better at it.

56. To be
at email
really, really good

57. all you have to do…

58. is follow 7 simple
email best practices:

59. #1
How and when to properly use
(and stop abusing) the “To"
"cc" and "bcc" fields

60. #2
Exactly what to should think
about before you hit that "Reply
All" button

61. #3
How to craft awesome and
effective subject lines

62. #4
Why you should think like
a journalist, not a novelist, when
writing emails

63. #5
How to expertly use bullets,
numbers and choices to increase
action and responses to emails

64. #6
Tactics to avoid the vortex of
back and forth replies and long
email threads

65. #7
The 3 vital pieces of information
that should be in your email
signature

66. To:
cc:
bcc:
1

67. To:
cc:
bcc:

68. Ask the question:
Do they need to take action
or respond in some way?

69. To:
cc:
bcc:

70. Ask the question:
Do they need to take action
or respond in some way?
If no… cc them.

71. When I send an email to
one person, there’s a
95% chance I’ll get a
reply. When I send to ten
people, the response
rate drops to 5%.

72. To:
cc:
bcc:

73. If emailing someone
with to: OR cc:
don’t put anyone in bcc:

74. If emailing more than
a few friends
put everyone in bcc:
(to hide their email)

75. Give the Gift of:
I’m moving [name] to bcc
when someone doesn’t need to
be involved anymore

76. Reply All:
2

77. Q: When should you
use Reply All?
A: Almost never.

78. Someone transmits good news to
nine people. Do all nine need to see
that you said, “Great news!”?
No, they don’t. Don’t use Reply All.

79. Meeting organizer asks if everyone is
available Wednesday at 10 am. You
have a conflict, but can suggest some
alternatives. Does the group need to
see your availability? Or can the
organizer collect the responses, and
propose a new time that will work?

80. Yes, she can. Don’t use Reply All.

81. The organizer of a party asks if anyone has a
conflict with the middle of January. Does the
whole planning party need to know that you
don’t have a coflict? (No.) If it wont work,
would it be useful for everyone to know that
we need to keep looking for a good date?

82. Yes.

83. Subject Lines
3

84. How to write
subject lines that
make doves cry

85. Bad subject lines:

86. Try to fit the
ENTIRE email
into the subject
line.
Bad for storage
units. Good for
emails.

87. Subject: Hey
Body: When will you
be in the office today?

88. Subject:
When will you be in the
office today? EOM

89. EOM
(end of message)

90. NNTR
(no need to respond)

91. [ ]

92. [ACTION]
[SUBJECT]
[CONTEXT]

94. [DECISION NEEDED]
[DECISION NEEDED]
Picking the new logo today - do you like A, B or C?

95. [DECISION NEEDED] [NEW LOGO]
Due today - do you like A, B or C?
[DECISION NEEDED]
[NEW LOGO]

96. [SCHEDULING]
Choose Tues. or Wed. @ 5pm
for meeting w/ Jessica
[SCHEDULING]

97. EVEN BETTER!
[SCHEDULING] [JESSICA MEETING]
Choose Tues. or Wed. @ 5pm [EOM]
[SCHEDULING]
[JESSICA MEETING]

98. [URGENT] [msgNETCONOMY]
Review and respond by EOD today
[URGENT]

99. Fix bad subject lines

101. Be a Journalist
NOT a Novelist
4

104. Examples of
Main Points Up Front

105. “We’re going ahead with the
deal. To close it, I’ll need you to
gather three years of financials,
and have them ready by Friday.”

106. “Our press release announcing
our joint venture with Netconomy
will be released tomorrow.
Do you like the headline below?”

107. “I’ve got a Fortune 500 client who
wants to discuss staff training.
Can you fly to Phoenix for a
Thursday meeting?”

109. •Bullets
2.Numbers
& Choices
5

110. Bullets, numbers and choices
are a gift to the recipient.
It makes their response
simpler.

111. Examples of
Bullets, Numbers
and Choices

112. The following flavors will be ordered:
• Vanilla
• Chocolate
• Strawberry
• Rocky Road
• Peanut Butter Fudge

113. We will visit the following cities, in
this order:
1. New York
2. Washington, D.C.
3. Chicago
4. Minneapolis
5. San Diego

114. Here are our options. Please choose.
1.End all negotiations and terminate
contract.
2.Respond with counter-proposal
3.Execute contract. (If this is chosen,
please also email signed contract.)

115. Close The Loops
6

116. Coffee is
for closers!
(loop closers)

117. Examples
of Open Loops
and Closed Loops

118. “Let’s get together for lunch. What
day is good? Where do you want to
go? Should we invite other
departments or keep it a team
meeting?”
Open Loops

119. “Let’s get together for lunch. I’m
thinking Thursday at 11:30 (to
avoid the rush) at Chipotle. Let’s
keep it just a team lunch this time,
but maybe next time, we’ll invite
others. Work for you?”
Closed Loops

120. “Here is the full proposal.
PLMKYTASAP.”
Open Loops

121. Useful
Signatures
7

122. 3 critical pieces of
information:
1. phone number
2. address
3. blog / recent article
*Can have different
nuances on platforms
like iOS & Android.

123. One-click calls

124. One-click maps

125. Bonus
Tips!

126. Get hyper(links)
Bonus #1

127. Check out our press release in PR Newswire:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/
digital-advertising-alliance-daa-announces-your-
adchoices-consumer-education-
campaign-137749828.html
Amateur:

128. Pro:
Check out our article in PR Newswire.

129. Stop saying
“Thank You”
Bonus #2

130. NOT
THIS
DO
THIS

131. Now go make email
awesome for you and
everyone you email!

132. Because now
you know:

133. 1. We can use TO, CC & BCC more effectively
2. That we should almost never Reply All
3. How to write actionable subject lines
4. How to write like a journalist, not a novelist
5. The power of bullets, numbers and choices
6. Several ways to minimize long email threads
7. How to create really useful signatures

134. yooooousuckLESS@email

135. AnyQuestions?

136. EMAILJULIA@WORKHACKS.COM

137. juliaroy
workhacks.com