Introduction

Read 10 different e-mails, from 10 different people, and you’ll more than likely come across a whole slew of writing styles, a wide gap in e-mail etiquette, and a huge variation in tone.

The beauty of e-mail is that it gives you the freedom to be casual and chatty in one communication and formal in another. You’ll probably find that your e-mail style changes depending on to whom you are writing (customer, coworker, wife, perspective client), and about what you are writing.

Although there may not be one best approach for all e-mail communications, E-Mail In An Instant will help you assess the most effective and efficient ways to get your message across with style and impact.

More than 25,000 people have attended our live or online Essential E-Mail courses. In this book we have attempted to distill the key principles and practices we teach into 60 easy-to-use actions. Going beyond basic etiquette, we’ve looked at e-mail from every angle, including: how to organize your inbox, create and send an e-mail marketing newsletter, express emotion electronically, and win friends and influence people—all with a click of the keyboard.