Official Correspondence using Digital Apps

According to research published in the Harvard Business Review (2013), 76% of users exploit email technology to exchange documents, 69% to share information with teams and other groups and 61% to communicate more effectively with people working in other time zones. Email is also used by 59% of business people to store and search for past messages and the information they contain.

Exchanging information and dealing with simple, routine matters via email while traveling or working remotely is highly effective and allows you to keep a record of your communications for future reference.

Emails represent an effective yet unobtrusive way to communicate with individuals and large groups, but are often overused. Many business people report spending a great deal of time each day going through a large number of emails, only half of which are relevant. This reduces the user’s productivity and the time they are able to spend reading the messages which count.

In order to avoid overloading recipients, and thus increase the effectiveness of your emails, make sure you only send essential messages. Complex and sensitive matters are better dealt with in person, and discussions involving groups of five or more people – as well as negotiations likely to generate conflict – can be more effectively conducted in online collaborative environments or meetings.

Emails should not be used to deliver messages that require an immediate answer as there is no guarantee that the receiver will read the message and respond immediately. Depending on the context, a phone call might ensure a message is received and understood.