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Reversing Your Email Composition [Idea]

We came across a great article about reconsidering the order you do things when composing an email.  Typically, here is the flow of input to an email:

  1. Input recipients
  2. Write subject
  3. Write body of message
  4. Attach files

The author of the article suggests a different approach:

  1. Attach files
  2. Write body of message
  3. Write subject
  4. Input recipients

There are a few good reasons to follow this new approach

  1. Attach files - if the file you are sending is the main reason for the email, this will make sure you have it attached before you get caught up writing the email
  2. Write body - the body is the next most important part because the body should describe what actions should be taken on the attached files, or the body is just stating the overall purpose of the email and you want to compose that before you put the subject on the message
  3. Write subject - creating the subject after the body is a good way to make sure the subject paraphrases the purpose you just wrote about in the body
  4. Input recipients - adding this information last does 2 things for you: 1. Hopefully you will never send an email to people by mistake the is not complete, and 2. You might remember to add someone else to the email later based on the information you share in the email

Think about these ideas and give it a try next time you are composing emails.

Original article: Reversing Your Email Composition

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 12:15 pm and is filed under Ideas. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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  1. #1 written by BrentBillock March 31st, 2009 at 13:08

    This is great advice. I’ve found this workflow a few times on my own. After preparing a file for sending, I frequently drag that file to my email icon on the dock. That opens a new message with the file attached, so I’m halfway to the process you describe.

    Whenever I compose a really important or sensitive email, I try to do so with nothing in the recipients field. As you say, that’s a great safeguard against hitting “send” before you’re ready.

    RE Q

  2. #2 written by Adam April 21st, 2009 at 12:08

    Good ideas. Depending on the sensitivity of the email, I’ll save the recipients until just before I send (this is trickier when replying to an email).

    I do find it beneficial to put the subject in early on. This forces me to decide what I intend to say in the email (rather than ramble on in the body). This might prompt an phone call or an IM instead of an email.

    RE Q

  3. #3 written by Ben Nadel April 29th, 2009 at 06:55

    That is a good idea. I really like it. Plus, I think it will help come up with much more meaningful subject lines.

    RE Q

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