Writing one, and sending it
Write an email that earns a reply, and know exactly what happens in the seconds after you press Send.
Every email program in the world puts the same four things in front of you. The buttons move about; the four things never change.
Most email programs hold a message back for a few seconds before it truly leaves, and show a small Undo or Undo send in the corner while they do. It is the single most useful button in email and hardly anybody knows it is there.
Key points
- To, Subject, message, Send — the same four things everywhere
- A subject line is a label, and it is what search looks at first
- Write first and address last, so nothing can leave half-finished
- There are a few seconds to press Undo, and drafts save themselves
What to remember
- To, Subject, the message, Send. Every email program in the world puts the same four things in front of you.
- A good subject line is the message shrunk down to one line. If you can write that, the email underneath tends to write itself.
- Address last. It is one small habit and it has saved more embarrassment than anything else in this course.
- A bounce is the postal service handing a letter back marked “not known at this address”. It is information, not a fault.
Try this
Go into your email settings and find the undo-send delay. If it offers you thirty seconds, take them. It costs nothing and it is the cheapest insurance in this whole course.
Practice: Writing one, and sending it. Your first lesson is free, with no account or card; the rest are part of a Lantern plan. Interactive lessons require JavaScript.