The modern business environment is wonderfully diverse and moves at a breakneck pace. When you need to send a message to your team or the company as a whole, it may be tempting to write an email, hit “Send All” and then call it a day. But is email the most effective way to deliver your message? First answer the following seven questions, and then you can answer this one.
#1 How quickly do you need an answer?
If you’re looking for immediate answers to relatively simple questions, email is the way to go. Those most likely to respond are those who have the answer at their fingertips. Those who ignore his emails would not have responded anyway.
#2 What is your legacy?
If you’re sending an update, reminder, or registration, then an email is definitely the way to go. If you’re sharing a detailed proposal or report, meeting minutes, policy changes, or instructions that your audience may need to review, email isn’t the best option. Many people read and then immediately delete your emails, so use a more permanent medium for things that need to live.
#3 What are the consequences?
If the message you need to deliver involves serious changes and consequences, then it’s best to be more formal. With a note, you have a specific format, including company letterhead, date, recipient list, and edition dates.
#4 Are graphics/visuals involved?
Email can be a bit tricky when there are tables, graphs, or even bullet points involved. The hours you spent formatting the perfect email can be lost when your readers are on different platforms. Outside the building, there’s little chance that all recipients will be using the same web browser, let alone the same email program. A large number of email addresses are simply forwarded to the user’s preferred email client. Many recipients read your emails on their phones or tablets. The best way to ensure that your entire intended format can be seen by all of your audience is to write it in the form of a note and save it as a pdf file. This file is like an image that can be read universally on most platforms.
#5 Will it print?
This matches the previous question. If yes, then you want to make it as easy as possible for your readers to hit that print button, so use a note. If not, then shoot that email.
#6 How sensitive is the information?
Even with the extensive disclaimers after your signature, an email is forwarded quickly and easily. If you’re discussing proprietary information, customer data, or anything that could affect the business as a whole, it may be best to have an actual paper record. An innocent Forward or Reply All could cause irreparable damage. Consider how the information could help or hurt your competitors and what are the chances that any part of your communication could be taken out of context. It’s difficult, at best, to fully control the audience an email reaches. Confidential information is best shared in a more formal and controlled environment.
#7 Where is my audience?
If you need to send something to a lot of people in a lot of different places, then email is by far the cheapest. If you meet all the criteria for a longer or more formal correspondence, consider a hybrid: a short email explanation with a pdf attachment (or link) of the note.
Now you know!
By answering the seven questions above, you can judge the best way to send the information that needs to be sent. Check out my other articles on how to write more effectively for diverse audiences.
