Truth 22. Use e-mail to communicate in the fast lane—powerfully

Did you hear the one about the company CEO whose indiscreet e-mail about the company president was forwarded to the board of directors by a disgruntled executive? Or about a giant firm’s financial managers who naively thought that “delete” actually erased their e-mails about illegal accounting practices?

Such high-profile anecdotes pale in comparison to the thousands—maybe millions—of e-mails that are just poorly conceived and written and, as a result, damage countless careers and relationships. And, most people don’t even realize when it happens.

Electronic communication is how we interact with most people now. Your e-mails may be the only thing your colleagues, bosses, clients, and customers ever see from you. Your professionalism, or lack of it, is your calling card.

All the principles of good writing that we’ve been talking about apply to e-mails. When is a carelessly thought-out e-mail with indifferent spelling, grammar, and punctuation okay? Never. E-mails are kicked upstairs, sideways, out of the loop into new networks endlessly. Their ghosts may live forever in company storage servers and archives, backed up for disaster recovery, government regulations, and legal reasons. They can and do come back to haunt you.

It’s also a mistake to think that you have two or more “selves”—one who writes “good” and proper e-mails to the boss, for example, and a second self who writes casual, sloppy e-mails to people you’re not worried about impressing. Often our friends and business associates travel in the same circles. When you behave unprofessionally—and poorly done e-mails are definitely unprofessional—you risk losing opportunities you’ll never hear about.

The bottom line: Supervisors take note of well-written e-mails, especially over the long run, and so do clients and colleagues. And every day, e-mail gives you at least an equal opportunity to screw things up, maybe irretrievably.

We haven’t even mentioned the efficiency factor: Poorly written e-mails that deliver information badly, cause confusion, and waste time are so common that hardly anyone complains about them. One carelessly done e-mail about a meeting time, sent to 20 people, could easily cost each of them 15 minutes worth of e-mailing and phone calls to resolve. That’s five hours for just a simple example.

So write good e-mails. Here’s how.

The challenge: You want to go to an expensive conference run by your industry’s association and need your boss’s sign-off. You know the budget is tight.

Your goal is clear. Your audience is your boss—someone you probably know quite well. Or do you? If you’ve never done a “formal” analysis of your supervisor, invest the time, especially if you feel as if you’re not on the same wavelength. Use the criteria in Truth 7 for audience analysis and don’t skip the “what’s in it for me?” criterion. Consider personality types, too, for clues about what works with different kinds of people.

Remember that your memo may be channeled up the managerial line, and to lateral departments, so remember that your audience often goes beyond your immediate target.

Tone: Go for respectful and business formal, without groveling.

Content: What might make your case? Business advantages all the way—probably your boss doesn’t want to think you’ll be enjoying the surf in Hawaii. Specify:

• What you’ll learn and what that will do for your employer

• Whom you’ll meet

• The value of having your company represented

• Any supporting information (such as, you haven’t been to a conference for two years, or the last one you attended produced a long-term client)

Don’t forget to cover:

• How your work will be handled in your absence

• That your trip will cause your boss absolutely no inconvenience

How to organize? Start with the order of your content list and see if it works.

How to lead? For an e-mail, the lead is the subject line, plus the opening sentence or two of the message. Here, typically, you clearly identify your subject and give the reader a positive view of your goal.

The working rule is: Put the bottom line on top.

One way to write this e-mail

Subject: Major Industry Conference Opportunity in June

Dear Elaine:

I request your approval to attend the Bottomline Building Association conference in Cleveland June 11-13.

Three special presentations this year directly relate to major company initiatives: project financing, working constructively with local government, and downtown revitalization. Several of the country’s top experts will speak, and I’d plan to follow up with personal meetings. I intend to bring back problem-solving ideas and guidelines.

Additionally, I’ll have opportunities to meet on a collegial level with some of the 1,500 attendees from around the world, so I’ll have chances to scout the competition, find leads to collaborators, and even clients. Companies including Marvel Construction and Worldwide Fabrication will be there in full force.

I plan to be a very active representative of this company and work to raise our international profile.

This will be the first major conference I’ve attended in two years. As you’ll recall, my participation at a regional-level BBA conference then resulted in a long-term relationship with CGA Development.

Workflow should present no problems—I’ve completed the Smith project, and Jerry is fully prepared to back me up. And of course I’ll keep in close touch so I can handle anything unexpected.

The conference information is attached. I will appreciate your approval, and any input for representing the firm.

Review your e-mails—every one

Now, evaluate: Did you make a good case? Leave anything out? Is it right for the person you’re addressing?

And, the most important thing: Would you approve the request if the relationship were reversed? Put yourself in the boss’s shoes and see whether what you’ve written would persuade you to send the writer to the conference. If not, rewrite!