Email Masterclass – Training Course Outline

You write emails on a daily basis but do they always get the results you want?
Are some of your email habits working against you? Most of us now spend a significant part of our working day dealing with emails, but email often makes work rather than helps getting it done.

In our Email Masterclass you will learn the seven principles that make email work. This includes how to address and sign off emails, organise your content and consider your audience, to make sure you get the best results from the emails you send. We discuss things that can affect the tone of your emails, and what to do if an interchange is becoming heated.

We also touch on technical issues to help you make the most of your email software, but the course does not cover specific use of email software in detail.

What you will learn on this course

During this course, you will cover:

• Ways to minimise the number of emails you receive ? and cut your workload
• Examples of the most common types of emails and how to write them ? action requests, information requests and replies to complaints
• Writing replies that get read
• Group discussion to identify your existing good and bad email habits
• Picking out key points and making them stand out from supporting information
• Writing emails that need to convey a lot of information
• Useful conventions to keep your subject line short and punchy
• Spotting emails likely to be viruses, malware or phishing
• Adapting your usual writing style to the medium of email
• Adjusting your tone and formality for your reader and purpose
• When not to copy others and how it could backfire
• How to say "No" politely

What our customers say

“I feel the course has highlighted errors I make every day in emails and has developed my skills to overcome these.”

DT, John Wiley

“The course leader was very engaging, charming and understanding. She knew the material very well and drew on personal experiences and anecdotes for clear examples.”

MB, Harrods

“Excellent course, great trainer: friendly, relaxed, engaging.”

MDT, Perform Group

Course Duration

This course is a one-day, interactive workshop. Delegates learn the techniques through group discussion and exercises and can practise them on emails they have brought to the session.

For those of you who like your training short and sweet, we can present this as a half day intensive session. To find out more email or call us.

Follow up session

Get the most from a staff training day and make sure valuable ideas aren?t forgotten by booking a follow-up session. Our trainer will visit you again a month to six weeks after your course to give delegates the chance to:

• Discuss how they implemented what they learnt
• Go over points from the course
• Practise their skills by working on their own writing with the trainer’s help

Course Contents

Introduction

• Group discussion:
  • Understanding how your reader deals with email means getting your email read
  • The advantages and disadvantages of email
  • Good and bad email habits
  • “I really hate it when…”

Principle1. Get to the point

• Distinguishing between essential and supporting information
• How to get your critical points across
• Structuring your content for maximum impact
• What if I have a lot of supporting information?
• Polite but firm action requests
• Writing an email is only half the story ? how to write effective replies to:
  • The three different types of complaints (and what they are)
  • Requests for information from colleagues and clients
• When you just can't do it: how to say “No” politely

Principle 2. Only write it if you’d say it to their face – while your boss is watching!

• Why do people misinterpret emails?
• Have you ever been offended by an email? A look at what makes good email etiquette
• How your words or punctuation can contribute to misunderstandings
• How to repair the damage if it has already happened
• It can come down to the little things: how do you address your recipient? How do you sign off?

Principle 3. Use the power of the subject line

• Your subject is the key to getting your email read – learn some techniques from journalists on writing compelling subject lines
• When and how to re-write a subject line if it no longer reflects the topic
• Emerging conventions for abbreviations and ways to flag types of email in your subject line

Principle 4. Make email work for you, not against you

• Know a few things about the technicalities and you can avoid common problems
• Email that works in the worst case scenario – and what that could be
• How not to go wrong with attached files
• Perils of HTML (and what the heck does it mean anyway?)
• Signature files – good ones, bad ones and yours
• Avoid emails that may contain viruses or malware, phishing emails

Principle 5. Write for keeps; write professionally

• Never mind the paper trail, email really is forever – so make sure yours say the right things about you and your organisation
• How to adapt your usual writing style to produce clear, focussed email text
• Different recipients benefit from different tones or levels of formality: how you can adjust your tone to suit your reader and your purpose
• How to keep out of court: legal disclaimers ? do they really stand up?
• Making promises – is email legally binding? (Hint – yes!)
• Can the wrong email get you sued for libel? (Another hint – yes!)

Principle 6. Don’t make spam

• Ask yourself who really needs to know and avoid abuses of ‘reply all’ and the dreaded ‘all company’ email
• Who should you be copying on your emails? What it can say about you if you copy inappropriately
• To email or not to email – or is there a better way? When should you consider alternatives, and what sorts? A look at some scenarios where email can backfire
• Things you can do to cut back on the amount of email you have to deal with

Principle 7. What does your inbox do for you?

• Can you cope with what’s in your inbox? Some can – what are their secrets?
• If your inbox attacks you every morning, ways to beat it into submission:
  • Touch something once
  • The two-minute rule
  • Rocks in a box

Book Now!

For details of timetabled courses, see the schedule.

To reserve your places you can book on-line, book a private course or call us on +44 (0)844 445 7743.