Email Etiquette - Subject line, Part I

Have you ever considered the purpose of the Subject Line?

If you’ve ever put question or meeting or hello in the Subject line, you’ve probably never really thought about it. There are three reasons to begin using the Subject Line more thoughtfully:

1. Avoid going to JUNK Mail
2. Make searching through email easier for the recipient
3. It’s just good manners

Avoid going to JUNK Mail: Vague and misspelled Subject Lines are a hallmark for SPAM so it’s very common for email filters to mistaken real messages as spam and block delivery. If your message is important, take the extra 20 seconds to say so in the Subject Line.

Make searching emails easier for the recipient: Many users have discovered the benefits of using email handlers to manage their multiple inboxes. These applications make searching through lots of messages easier in that you can search by the various fields of a message like To, From, Subject, etc. I receive upwards of fifty emails each day. Many of these messages can be discarded right away but among them will be top priority messages that require immediate action. I will often rely on the Subject Line to prioritize what gets read first as opposed to what can wait.

Once an email has been read and acted upon, however, it just falls further and further down the list of messages until it’s no longer visible on the screen. What happens when I get a question regarding one of those earlier messages? For instance, our regional board members submit a Friday report each week to keep everyone informed of the week’s activities. The Subject Line for these updates is usually, “PWOC/SE Friday Report – Financial Secretary.” If I want to remind myself of the status of an outstanding Purchase Order, I simply search the Subject field for the above words. Voila! My inbox of hundreds is quickly reduced to ten or less making my search infinitely easier.

Not only does this search process simplify the recipients workflow, it also eliminates the probability of generating a new email asking a question that has already been answered and that’s just good manners!

Food for Thought:

1. Don’t stop at PWOC, particularly if you are a board member or are addressing a board member. Many leaders serve on more than one board and board members get a surprisingly high number of PWOC related messages. Follow through and be specific. (ie. PWOC/NE Regional Board Meeting Reminder)
2. Don’t stop at meeting. Specify not only the organization having the meeting but whether it is a reminder, cancellation or meeting related question.
3. Avoid important or urgent. Again, don’t look like SPAM!
4. Incorrect spelling sends a message and it’s NOT the one you intend! Pay attention.

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