Before thinking about how to compose an effective e-mail, it’s critical to think about whether e-mail is the right vehicle for the communication in the first place.

E-mail has become such an integral part of our lives that many of us check it as soon as we get up in the morning, before we reach our destination in the airplane, before we go to bed at night. But the “e” in e-mail means “electronic” not “everything,” so consider the following before going on “e-mail autopilot.”

E-mail is an effective communications vehicle when:

• Simply downloading and uploading information.

E-mail is the … Read the rest