I Wrote 700+ Damn Words About Email Because It's Time We Had an Honest Talk

Let's face it - email sucks. That little 'send' icon taunts us, luring us into rage-fueled tirades and thoughtless replies that haunt our inboxes for eternity. Frankly, email has turned us all into assholes.

But it doesn't have to be this way. With a little mindfulness, we can stop being slaves to our inboxes and become email masters. Here are the only things that really matter when sending emails:

#1 Does it move the conversation forward?

Let's get real - most emails don't need to exist. Before hitting send, ask yourself: am I solving a problem, making a request, or adding value here? Or am I just wasting someone's time?

If an email doesn't progress the conversation, delete it. The recipient will thank you for not adding one more pointless message to their already overflowing inbox.

#2 Is it well-written?

You might have an important message to share, but if your email is disorganized, overly wordy, or contains typos, you've already failed. Don't count on your recipient to decode your rambling, nonsensical prose - you're not James Joyce.

Craft your message clearly and concisely. Use proper grammar and formatting. Proofread before sending. Your writing represents you - make sure it makes you look good.

#3 Is the tone appropriate?

Look, we've all dashed off an email in anger only to regret it later. That's why tone matters. Before hitting send, read your message critically: would the tone come across differently than you intended? Could anything be misconstrued?

Match your tone to the situation and recipient. With close colleagues, you can be casual. But avoid sarcasm or informality with new contacts. And definitely don't put anything in writing that you wouldn't want published on the company website.

Ask yourself: is the tone aligned with my purpose here? If not, rewrite.

#4 Is the purpose clear?

Don’t make the recipient guess why you’re emailing. State your purpose up front. Are you informing, requesting, following up? Let them know so they can give your email the attention and response it requires.

Being clear about your intent will prevent misunderstandings and make your email more effective. The recipient will appreciate you valuing their time and attention.

#5 Have you provided enough background?

Don’t assume the recipient knows the backstory. Provide brief context to refresh their memory or bring new contacts up to speed. People get hundreds of emails - they won’t remember the details.

Give just enough background to orient the recipient without rehashing things unnecessarily. Find the balance between too much irrelevant detail and not enough context.

#6 Are you asking clearly?

If you’re making a request, be specific about what you need and by when. Don’t beat around the bush and leave the recipient confused. Lay out the request plainly.

Being direct about what you want will get you results faster. Leave no room for ambiguity or your email risks being ignored.

#7 Have you made it easy to act?

After you’ve made your request, make it idiot-proof for the recipient to fulfill it. Provide all relevant details - links, attachments, contact info.

Don’t make them hunt down the files or connections needed. Supply everything upfront to remove obstacles to taking action. You’ll get what you want faster.

#8 Will it resonate with the recipient?

Know your audience. What matters to them? Tailor your language, style and tone to resonate with the recipient’s personality and priorities.

Connecting with their cares and concerns will make your message stand out from the email noise. Be relevant and relatable.

Let's Close it.

You can find endless articles online about email etiquette: when to cc, the perfect subject line length, thank you note protocols. Forget all that noise.

Those so-called "rules" don’t really matter. What matters is this: treat your recipients like human beings. Communicate with honesty, clarity, and respect. Build relationships, not reply-all chains.

Email etiquette won't fix your crappy messages. But being a decent human being just might.

So take a breath before hitting send on your next email. Check yourself. Are you forwarding the conversation in a meaningful way? Have you crafted your message with care? Does your tone align with your intent?

If so, then send boldly and confidently. And if not, start over. Or maybe don’t send it at all. Your recipients will thank you.

At the end of the day, etiquette doesn't matter. Courage, vulnerability and compassion do. So be brave, get personal and lead with your heart. Only then can email bring out the best in us rather than the worst.

The truth is, email doesn’t have to suck. We just have to suck less.

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