The Gmail Genius Issue #8 – How to write email introductions that don’t suck

Stop letting email control your work day

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, a Dartmouth business school professor outlines a communication strategy designed to make your communication effective and reduce the time we usually waste on emails.

How to write a great email signature

Wondering what to include and how fancy to get in your email signature? This CNBC piece provides solid tips from the guy who literally wrote the book on professional emails.

How to make the perfect email introduction

PR guy/business consultant/wildman Peter Shankman nails it with some blunt advice on how to connect people via email. Hint: Make sure there’s a true benefit to the introduction, not just “Hey, you’re both mammals that breathe air.”


Inbox Exposed: Gemma Hartley, Writer 

Email is a non-negotiable part of everyday life. For some, it’s an unruly time suck, but enlightened email users have systems to ensure they’re not a slave to the inbox. We’re asking smart thinkers to give us a peek inside their inboxes, share tips, ideas, gripes, and everything in between.

Gemma Hartley, a writer specializing in parenting, feminist/pop-culture, finance, budgeting, and mindfulness, has written for The Washington Post, Glamour, CNBC, Women’s Health and others. She advises parents to never compose an email with kids in the room. An excerpt from the full interview follows.

Are there any specific Gmail tools you love?

The fact that you can “undo” emails before they send has been a godsend for me. I am generally careful with my emails, but every once in a while I’ll realize that I’ve sent a pitch with the wrong editor’s name or forgotten to write in the subject line. Having that panic button available has saved me from many an embarrassment.

Read more!