How to Write an Email (No, Really) | Victoria Turk | TEDxAthens
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- čas přidán 31. 05. 2024
- You might think you’re an expert at email, but you’re probably doing it wrong. Which greeting should you use? How can you make sure you’re not misunderstood? Do you know the golden rule of CC? From subject line to sign-off, Victoria Turk guides through some of the oft-neglected fundamentals of email etiquette. Victoria Turk is a senior editor at WIRED UK, where she edits the magazine's culture section, leads video strategy, and writes regularly for print and web. She specialises in stories at the intersection of technology and culture, which explore the impact of technology on our everyday lives. Before working at WIRED, she was technology editor at New Scientist and UK editor at Motherboard, VICE’s tech and science channel. Victoria’s first book, Digital Etiquette, was published by Ebury Press in March 2019 and explores the way we use digital communication tools across different spheres of our lives - from work to romance, friendship to social media - to set out the new rules of online etiquette. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx
Im extremely dissapointed she didnt end this speech with "Best wishes"
Bob The Chair or Thanks in advance 👍🏽
It's TED talk. Not an email.
It seemed like the silliest topic but when I watched the WHOLE video I realized it was really useful. Thanks TED.
I agree.
@@Aritul st_
Lovely talk, but I suggest listening at 1.5x speed
This was really helpful thanks!
1.25 and you can still take notes
Saved me time, thanks 😊
Hehe thank you :)
Appreciate it.. Just sounds like she's running out of breath..
"Regards" is the short most used expresion these days to close email
Thank You!
Good to see this as there are too many inept users;
Additionally:
1) ALL CAPS is the same as screaming - don’t do it.
2) Stay in the same Font, Color and Size please! Don’t make it an eye-chart.
3) If you need to emphasize something use BOLD or Highlight it.
4) Use a format that is pleasing to the eye - no one enjoys your boxes, changing indents, etc.
5) Minimize your graphics or images. Use attachments if necessary.
6) Make it easy to understand, i.e. brevity, isolate key points, and proofread to avoid ambiguity.
You changed indents on #4, but I enjoyed your comment anyway.
My boss once sent me an email with a question mark, I responded with two question marks. Five minutes he was at my desk explaining what he wanted me to do with it. 😁
Good stuff! But the most important etiquette for email is to read the email yourself before you hit Send!
Yes
Thanks, Victoria, for raising our awareness to all these aspects of our daily e-mailing activities. Yes, we are well-advised to communicate openly about our e-mail-etiquette and make clear agreements about it. This makes life and communication easier and more cheerful for all of us.
Haven't ever thought, but this is a part of my college assignment😌
15:25 Why did she sign off with "thank you" when she taught us to sign off with "Best Wishes" ?
Sincerely and Thanks in Advance,
Confused
lmao
To prove a point that it's not an email?...
As someone who usually ends with "thanks" or "thank you" I feel validated by the ending.
Are you a Damn Executive Officer (DEO) of something?
I thought I had a reasonable etiquette but I was guilty for a couple of these. This talk just elevated my email skills to another level. I just started my workday and have already applied a couple of these rules. Thank you.
Should be taught in school! Just like they taught us how to write a ( snail mail ) letter back in the day.
Buddcar Cook it is and I’m struggling
The problem is person whom I will send these emails, are not enlightened enough to watch this video and know these rules
I suggest you set an example by using these rules yourself. Exempla trahunt.
@@nepozabime Thanks.
Also sent this video's link to my team members.
I agree with the part that will the sender wonder why I haven't responded if I'm just in the Cc section. Everyone has to play by the same rules or things get misinterpreted easily.
There’s a lot of time spent on inbox management. We should be focusing on outbox management. This is a great talk and speaks so much to my firm views. This is great.
Really enjoyed it- 15 minutes of worth watching as if it was a minute
Re: greetings, I find it useful in active chains to open with “Thanks, (name)” to whomever’s point I’m replying. It’s not just polite but helps to keep the continuity more clear for readers coming into the chain in the middle or occasionally.
Learned a few things from this and got some clarity. Thank you!
This was a great video on a simple, everyday task that we all thought we were doing correctly!
it's super nice when talks are this practical
Thanks for the info about BCC. Seventy percent of my communication at work is through email and I will DEFINITELY put BCC to use.
Saw the thumbnail and thought that Bailey Quarters/ Jan Smithers had returned in new-fangled form. But luckily Victoria is a real person with some truly useful information. Thanks!
Lovely! I love this woman, her intelligence! Fantastic!
FYI CC = carbon copy, BCC = blind carbon copy... in the past a secretary would put a carbon sheet between the page being typed on the typewriter making a duplicate for other recipients.
This was a very helpful talk! Thanks! :D
Often use "Thanks in advance" to save on sending a follow up email. For example, if it's a task the respondent does as a service eg. buying stuff online. Or, sometimes when asking a rhetorical question eg booking an appointment.
Loved the video and delivery of the talk.
15:24 I expected her to say "best wishes"
Why? she not ending an email
This is not email. It's TED talk.
Omg - I didnt have a problem to use "Thanks in advance" in most of my response. Cant imagine the kind of attitude it delivered to the receivers.
Very helpful now I know the best sign off to use Thank you
It's all about the preference and knowing your audience.
May i suggest that the Ted Talk speakers prepare their speeches on a lesser narrative but more on graphics or visual presentation for an easy and good impact the viewers. Thank you.
Will Garcia Zapanta YUP!
No
That's a good suggestion. It might help those viewers who are hearing impaired.
This could have been shorter. I would like to suggest using your E-Mail etiquette in every non-socializing situation.
Sounds like becoming a roobot.
@@lesleyoliver5582 You decide what a socializing situation is.
Ano Nym my point is that if we purely use email etiquette in every non-socialising situation then our socialising will become staid, lacking in personality. Surely the art of writing or videotape to keep attention needs more than limited responses or interaction. Having said that at least if either of us don’t like the channel we can chose a different channel. Thank goodness for differing tastes, it keeps the world in balance.
@@lesleyoliver5582 When a refugee tells his/her story emptional speech is suitable. But someone talking about email-ettiquette...lets say a blogpost could have been just as long as this comment.
An ikea manual must'nt be a musical.
Ano Nym Really? I believe that ALL people have something to say not just from an emotional level. You say we should shortcut the chatter. So why did you comment and not simply. Move on to the next video. You see, we all have something to say that some may listen to whilst others may consider we are wasting their time. Curiously fascinating human being, I find.
brilliantly explained e-mailing process
She’s got an air the entire talk that makes it seem as if she received one too many e-mails she didn’t like, and now she’s fed up and goes around teaching xD
Edit: I thought she would talk about something very useful, such as how to organise prev reply text when one person in the conv messes up the thread.
Viva insights is great for delaying emails automatically. It will send the email during the receivers work hours. Especially good if you’re a manager that wants to signal that you don’t expect answers at midnight (even if you’re sending emails at that hour). Also if you work in different time zones. 😅furthermore, your outlook dosnt have to be open for it to send like the normal delay functionality.
perfection overloaded.
Thankyou so much!
"Best wishes" sounds like it's Christmas.....? XD
she on the talk cuz she THICK bro
I always think wedding when I see it.
makes me think of saying good-bye as ond leaves on a deadly adventure
I actually hate it and don’t like it when people use it. Worst is ‘BW’ or ‘Bw’. 🤢.
"Thanks in advance" is so passive aggressive for me
Great talk!
My boss needs to watch this.
showed this video to him/her yet?
I really like the speaker. Great presenting skills.
this is "Essential"
I've never known how to write emails😂
I as an immigrant learned so much. I did not know that email could be so much important.
This is an awesome presentation
Best wishes
Imagine my disappointment when she said ‘Kind Regards’ was too pompous. That’s my go-to sign off 😔
Can you pass this to Amazon support, please? :-)
What's up with them?
Amazon support is THE best support. Only reason why i pay more for Amazon products
@@RealCellstar The sarcasm is deep with this one.
@@RealCellstar Same experience. Amazon support ist always extremely helpful and kind.
When you deal with something with their technical support, every answer is on one page (common links, satifaction questionnaire), but it's only the second sentence what you need to read. No chance to go throuh to the end and find an attachment if any.
"Regards" sounds passive aggressive to me. I agree with the "Best wishes" idea. Although sometimes I use "Kind wishes" or "Warm wishes" in a less formal situation. Someone sent me an email signed off with "warm wishes" once and it really stuck with me because that's the only sign off that sounds genuine.
Thank you for this Ted talk. My emails always get misconstrued. Sometimes I wonder if I should be more mean to match the image in my email recipients’ minds.
Great tips
Thanks Turuk
Very important advice
Helpful
I also like to compose the subject last to summarize neatly.
Especially useful when you feel the urge of sending email, but you have no idea what to write about.
Why is ‘’Kind regards’’ not a good way to end an email ? I didn’t understand
That's a good question. I think that's just her opinion.
Could it be a British Vs American etiquette maybe ? I use "Kind regards" because all my British colleagues were using it.
It was extremely useful. 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
✈🚀💥😆😅😄 VIVA CHAVEZ ! Maduro se queda!
Thanks in advance. 9:25 The full term when used correctly in the US is "Thanks in advance for your prompt attention in this matter". It implies a sense of urgency. Get it done and don't waste time with more emails.
Très pertinent sur les nouveaux modes de communication
Can't believe i found such a boring subject, interesting. Great job.
And that's a baaaddd red dress and she's wearing it!
The other thing you can do if you'd otherwise be having a 2am emailing session is write them all in a word document or as drafts then copy/paste them all into emails in the morning. It also lets you sober up before emailing your boss which is nice.
Thank u all very much
The problem with all these "rules" is that they don't work if the other person is not aware of them. For work, there are only two sorts of email. Ones that are giving you information you need and ones trying to get you to do something. Unless it's your boss or team member you don't have to do other people's work for them. So you can ignore any others asking you for things.
This talk doesn't recognise the multiculturalism in work places. It assumes everyone is English or english-speaking as a first language. So keep words simple and avoid slang terms. Also be explicit in what you say.
A few months ago I had to miss a few days of school for a dance competition, so I emailed the teachers whose classes I’d be missing. This is the general template I used:
Dear [teacher]
Sorry to disturb your [time]. Unfortunately I will be missing the [class] on the [date] due to a(n) [reason]. I will make sure to [catch up/etc].
Thank you for your understanding,
[signature]
Now I feel bad for saying thank you in advance...
Thanks in that context sounds fine to me.
I think your email is very nice. "Thanks for your understanding" is perfect at the end.
Thanx
golden advice
Alexa takes care of all my emails. Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Love her dress! Wish I knew where it was from.
Costco
thanks.
My Replika send me this... Why though
I don’t agree with the “Etiquette” part, though. There are MANY international companies that operate 24 hours. I send emails all the time when I’m scheduled to work at 2 a.m ~ especially if my boss or colleague or client is receiving the email in a different time zone.
I love this! What happens if you're someone like me who has created for five emails over the years and just wasn't responsible with my email... Each one has hundreds or even thousands of unread emails. there's no way that in this lifetime I could possibly clean all those up without just deleting them and getting a fresh start. What do you think? maybe I can go back 3 months for each email address and just double check on those contacts.
Thx
I sign off with “Respectfully”.
I think everyone but me used my email
..wish I could learn more about it's uses when it mattered
Re:thanks, I usually only use “thanks” for greetings, as I commented earlier. Otherwise I like to say “Thank You”, because I reckon a pronoun is literally the least one can give. :) Thanks for teaching me not to thank in advance. Great point. Thank You!
I think I'll still go with the passive-aggressive "Thanks in advance" when it calls for it. I actually don't think it's that rude if you are asking something of someone that you know they will have to do.
This sounds more like a high school presentation than a ted talk
I dont think : ok, received, agreed, approved is rude... we do have to be quick and efficient at work. Though I do agree that the question mark is... 2 is cruel...3 agressive for sure. Well noted for the sign off.
Wow! What an amazing race in six Lap's.
Nice
There is to "etiquette" to my e-mails, I'll shoot straight to the point, no fluff, short and minimal answers.
Unhappy ? Don't care, come talk to me if you want a "discussion" or more "entertainment".
I don't say "hi" nor do I say bye or any other "usual letter ending stuff". Odd thing is, people have told me they enjoy talking to me over e-mail because it feels like they're just talking to me directly, and not to a formal version of myself.
I can't believe everyone doesn't know and do this already
Good stuff, but a talk about how to keep email concise and not waste peoples' time should probably not be longer than 5 minutes.
As a pastor's kid, I kinda absorbed my dad's way to end emails, he uses, "In His bonds", which is perfect becayse my first office job is Christian, I don't know if I shiuld keep it though.
I wish she had mentioned one of my pet-peeves... “Read-Receipts.” Maybe it’s just me, but I find them condescending from people I know on a personal or professional basis, and downright intrusive from those I don’t.
I think most of those sign offs she mentioned not to use are ok. What's wrong with varying it a little?
i personally can not think people care more than i do, i do not want to be wrong again!! nice video though about the cc & all. maybe i am wrong. one of the most important things to learn in life is keeping an open mind! four star ****4****
What about starting with Blessings?
you should never use BCC, unless you send an email to multiple recipients with a purely informational content (e.g. an email list you use for sending out informational articles to your clients). never use BCC in consequential emails (email with a consequential content)
Well, I used 'Kind Regards' most of the times. The first time I received an email with this ending was from a British person. I thought it was more 'sweet' than a pompous way.
I DEFINITELY think there is a difference between British vs. English signing styles.
I am so surprised about this. I use that most as well. I switched it to 'Best Regards'.
I have also seen 'Kind regards' a lot while working in the UK. I find it nicer and warmer than 'Best wishes'.
Just sign off with "have a great day"
I agree. This is nice ending, but not for every email. Change it up to make it relevant for each email. "Thanks for your help", "Have a great weekend", "Enjoy your weekend", "Take care", "Stay safe", "Many thanks".
Everything important should be included in the first sentence. They are not going to read the second sentence most of the time anyway.
I think this is the first time I’m saying this about a TED Talk but I disagree with some of what the speaker is conveying. IME, leaders who send one word emails (e.g. ?) are not necessarily poor communicators as many align with their team directly to explain their “email language” which is created for brevity and efficiency.
What about just Thanks?! What does Best Wishes mean if Thanks in advance is inappropriate
I’ve been wrong all along. Especially with the “thanks in advance” lol
If you have three points to make, send three different emails to three different people. If one of the points is actually absorbed and acted upon, consider yourself successful.
Se parece un montón a Nicole Wallace de skam España.
Those emails that are signed off ‘best’
I agree with most of this but not all. I especially disagree with the definitive way to sign off of an email. Anything that FINAL and Definitive will be changed soon with time. As much as I love emoji's and I wish they were that standard, they're not. I most appreciated the CC rule and idea for the BCC.
Another tip in the body of the email is to double space your ideas.
Most people read emails on mobile devices and a lot gets lost when you cram everything into one big long run on paragraph. Make it easy on the recipient.
Unclear writing is a sign of unclear thoughts.