Writing effective e-mails

There are some who can delegate e-mail to others, and that can be a big time saver. But if you are still writing your own e-mails, there are some tips for improving those communications so you will save time.

For the e-mails that you write

Before you even write an e-mail, ask yourself if this is the fastest and most effective way to communicate with this person? If not, pick the way that will work better, whether that's picking up the phone, sending a text, setting up an in-person meeting, scheduling a video chat, or even writing a letter. If you decide an e-mail is the optimal way to communicate, then in your e-mails, try to:

• Keep it succinct.

• Have a clear subject line in the heading that is more likely to get your recipient's attention. For example, FYI is less likely to get opened immediately than "Regarding this morning's client meeting."

• Watch how quickly you are responding to someone else's e-mail.

  He or she may take it as a sign that he/she should respond quickly...