Write Your Email Backwards To Be Effective

Reversing Your Email Composition | EveryJoe.  

Thanks to The (new) Legal Writer for leading me to this insightful post about email composition. I am always starting my emails by filling in the email address of my recipient, filling in the subject line, writing the text, and, (most of the time) attaching files. But, how often do we forget to attach a file, and then send a follow up? And, how often, while writing the text, figure out that someone else should get it? This post suggests that we attach the file first, then write the text, then write the subject headline, and only then decide who should get it. Makes sense to me.

Comments

[Charles Jannace]

I implemented this system a few years ago after I received an email from an attorney who didn't intend to send it to me. I wanted to make reasonably certain that that wouldn't happen to me and I decline to use those silly disclaimers at the end of every email, as if that makes a difference. I stopped a long time ago sending emails to Mozilla suggesting that they offer templates in Thunderbird to accomplish this, essentially leaving the email address entry at the bootom and the file attachment at the top. I think it would work for everyone.