Getting the best out of Email:

addressees 

• check you are only sending emails to those who need to know 
• think twice before using the ’Reply to All‘ option 
• use the ’To‘ field for people you want to act on your email 
• use the ’cc‘ field for those included for information only 

content 

• include the name of the recipient 
• explain the purpose in the first few lines and, if necessary, who you are 
• distinguish between fact and opinion 
• summarise/explain the contents of attachments 
• if replying, include the original email to provide context 
• use hyperlinks to intranet content – see Microsoft Outlook Help facility 

style 

• be aware of the tone of the message 
• use plain English 
• avoid unnecessary length 
• check spelling before sending 
• avoid unfamiliar abbreviations and emoticons 
• use a signature 
• explaining who you are and giving contact details – see Microsoft Office Outlook Help facility on how to create and insert these automatically into emails.