发电子邮件时，要考虑这四种风险

在商界，与面对面交流甚至打电话相比，电子邮件沟通造成误解的概率要更高。不幸的是，电子邮件还是专业人士交流的主要工具之一。有时，它会导致严重的问题和困惑，而这本是可以避免的。

尽管面对面交流或打电话都是更好的选择，但有时却并不现实。电子邮件往往更快，也不容易打扰他人。那么，既然所有人都同意电子邮件是商业沟通的一种可行方式，我们就应当注意培养自己发邮件的技巧。

用电子邮件沟通的危险

在深入探讨怎样减少犯错，掌握发邮件的艺术之前，我们先简单看看职场中电子邮件带来的四大危险和风险，了解一下这种媒介的棘手之处。

• 语意不明。电子邮件通讯的最大危险在于语意不明。收件人无从得知发件人的语调变化和肢体表达。这使得识别讽刺、兴奋和其他可能的情感变得极为困难。

• 充满错误。我们在写邮件时常常会分心。当你同时忙着处理小智能手机和小屏幕上的工作时，发出的邮件很可能错漏百出。这会让邮件显得很不专业，容易造成误解。

• 拖延决定。尽管电子邮件会立刻发到收件人的邮箱中，但这并不意味着收件人会马上点开它。邮件往往得在几个小时之后才被看到，某些情况下这已经太晚了。

• 丢失信息。我们永远不知道电子邮件去了哪里，它们可能会丢失，有时候还确实丢失了。本应被送到的邮件如果没有进入收件人的邮箱，有时会导致严重的后果。

如果你已经在商界混迹数年，上述危险你可能都至少经历过一次。这只证明一点：提高交流能力是如今职场的重中之重。

提高邮件效果的建议和方案

那么，我们怎样才能把这些风险降到最低，让邮件更加有效呢？以下是一些建议：

• 给邮件起一个引人注目的标题。邮件的标题十分重要。如果你希望自己的邮件被更快打开，就必须在这方面做得更有策略一些。一个办法是以号召的口吻来写标题。与其用“约翰逊项目”作为标题，不如试试“请在下午3点前批准约翰逊项目”。

• 增加提示。所有邮件平台都有一项服务，让你在发送邮件前确认一遍。这个简单的弹出窗口可以让你避免很多麻烦，迫使你迅速检查一遍你写的内容。

• 简明扼要。冗长的邮件效果不好。人们通常只会快速浏览邮件，寻找重要信息，为什么不用他们希望的格式呢？以一个简单的介绍开头，然后列出关键点。

• 避免机密。Emily Post Institute的主任彼得·波斯特表示，你应当避免在邮件中讨论机密信息，即使你认为只有你和收件人才能看到邮件。万一邮件发错了人，你就要面对严重的后果了。

• 不要夹带情绪。一封愤怒的邮件比一个愤怒的电话更加糟糕。因为邮件是永久的。一旦你按下发送键，这封邮件就可以被分享、打印并永久储存。如果你发现自己的邮件很情绪化，就从桌子边站起来，在大厅里走一会再回来。这个简单的休息方法很多时候会让你重新评估后果。

• 重视签名。你的邮件签名十分重要。The Book Bank Foundation的丽莎·蔡司·帕特森表示：“有件事我一直在跟客户说，就是在邮件签名中附上自己所有的联系方式，以及头衔、公司名、社交媒体和网站，这样人们就能对他们和他们的公司有一个整体的了解。”

按照这些简单的建议，你可以彻底改变发邮件的方式。这些建议不会完全让你规避风险，不过它们绝对可以帮助你改善沟通方式，避免尴尬的失态，降低你把事情弄糟的概率。（财富中文网）

译者：严匡正

Compared to face-to-face communication or even telephone calls, emails are prone to a high rate of miscommunication in the business world. Unfortunately, email also happens to be one of the primary forms of communication among professionals. This sometimes leads to serious issues and confusion that could otherwise be avoided.

While it’s almost always better to have a conversation in person or over the phone, it’s not always practical. Emails are generally quicker and less intrusive. So, if everyone is in agreement that email is a viable form of business communication, then we have to turn our attention towards how we can become better at the art of emailing.

The Dangers of Email Communication

Before delving into some of the ways you can become better at reducing errors and mastering email, let’s briefly look at four of the biggest dangers and risks of email in the workplace to get an idea of just how tricky of a medium it can be.

• Lost in translation. The number one danger of email communication is a lack of translation. When the recipient doesn’t have the luxury of hearing inflection or watching body expressions, it’s extremely challenging to discern the difference between sarcasm, excitement, and other possible emotions.

• Filled with errors. When we write emails, we’re often distracted. And when you combine multitasking with small smartphones and tiny screens, the chances of sending emails with typos and errors are incredibly high. This results in unprofessional and misconstrued emails.

• Delayed decisions. While an email may show up in the recipient’s inbox immediately, this doesn’t mean they’ll open it right away. Emails often don’t get viewed until hours later, which may be too late in some situations.

• Lost messages. While we’ll never know where they go–emails can and do get lost on occasion. When an email that’s supposed to get sent doesn’t arrive in the recipient’s inbox, sometimes there can be serious consequences

If you’ve been in the business world for a few years, you’ve likely experienced all of these dangers at least once. This simply proves that the need to become better at communicating is an extremely important one in today’s professional landscape.

Tips and Solutions for More Effective Emailing

So, how can we minimize these risks and increase the efficacy of email? Here are a handful of tips:

• Write a compelling subject line. The subject line of your email is very important. If you want your emails to be opened quicker, then you must be strategic in your approach. One idea is to actually write the subject in a call-to-action format. So instead of using a title like “Johnson Project,” use a subject like “Approve the Johnson Project by 3 pm.”

• Enable prompts. Every email platform has an option that you can enable that will actually prompt you to review any message before sending. This simple pop-up window can save you a lot of trouble and forces you to quickly review what you wrote.

• Get to the point. Long-winded emails aren’t very effective. People typically end up scanning emails for the important information anyway, so why not give it to them in a format they want. Start with a very brief intro and then provide bullet points.

• Be cautious with confidential info. You should always refrain from discussing confidential information in an email–even if you think the email is just between you and the recipient, says Peter Post, director of the Emily Post Institute. Should the email end up in the wrong hands, you could face serious repercussions.

• Never email angry. An angry email is so much worse than an angry phone call. The reason is that email is permanent. Once you hit the send button, that email can be shared, printed, and saved indefinitely. If you ever find yourself about to send an emotional email, stand up from your desk, walk down the hall, and come back. Many times, this simple break will force you to reevaluate.

• Maximize your signature. Your email signature is very important. Lisa Chase Patterson of The Book Bank Foundation says, “One thing I always tell clients is to include all of their contact information in their signature, as well as their title, company name, social media and websites, so that people have access to a total view of them and their company.”

By following these simple suggestions, you can completely transform your approach to email. These tips won’t completely eliminate risks, but they can certainly help you improve your communication, avoid embarrassing gaffes, and decrease your chances of messing up.