Unbearable for us to find a copy of the letter. Cc and bcc in email. What to do with copies
We send dozens of emails every day. Sometimes these are very short messages, for example, “Shall we go to lunch?”. Sometimes - with the help of which you present your business or website. When there are a lot of letters and little time, we start to rush and make mistakes. Usually trivial, like typos, but sometimes there are some that can damage your reputation and ruin your relationship with a client or employee.
This can be avoided, you just need to be collected and know about some pitfalls. Here are the most common mistakes made when sending emails. Read carefully and remember that first you need to make a short pause, check if everything is in order, and only then click on the "Send" button.
You are typing the wrong address
The most common and most unpleasant mistake. Imagine you want to send some pretty personal photos to a friend or girlfriend, but you automatically type in the address of your boss or customer. And only after the letter has left, you realize with horror what has happened now. If this will console you, then each of us has got into such a situation at least once in his life: lawyers sent confidential documents to the opposite side, designers - site layouts to the wrong client, etc. But when this happens to us, it seems that the earth is slipping from under our feet.
Fortunately, many mail services, for example, in the same Gmail, have a function. Turn it on and specify a large time interval - so, you know, quieter.
You forgot about the attachment
You wrote that a certain file is attached to the letter, but you forgot to attach it. Another common mistake that often leads to misunderstandings and apologies. On the one hand, it's okay, no one is perfect, but it's better to check everything first, and only then send a letter. And to avoid questions from the recipient, we recommend listing all attached files right in the body of the letter. For example, like this:
Hi Maxim! I am sending you several files, they are attached:
Service agreement
GIF with a cat
You don't think about decoration
They are greeted, as you remember, by their clothes. If you do not want your letter to be prompted to immediately delete it, work on its form. They say she needs to devote as much time as content. Fortunately, today it is easy. To do this, we recommend using the Wix ShoutOut app, choosing the appropriate template and adding your text to it. No special knowledge is required, just make sure that everything looks neat and beautiful. By the way, good newsletters have their own secrets and rules, so we recommend that you read our email marketing director. Don't thank.
You don't include a subject line
The subject line of the email serves about the same role as the heading of the text. It appears next to your name, the recipient sees it and understands what you sent him: invoice, meeting results, job offer, site layout, etc. Remember that the topic should be clearly formulated so that, if necessary, a person can quickly find your letter, and convincing, so that he is interested in, say, a mailing list. Not so long ago, we wrote that if you have forgotten it is worth rereading.
You don't save drafts
If you like to write letters in text editors, then save more often, otherwise it will turn out that you spent the whole day over the letter, and then suddenly the computer froze, and everything was gone. Or write directly to the mail service - then all your sketches will be automatically saved in the "Drafts" folder.
You are being impolite
Politeness in correspondence is just as important as it is in life. Here are the basic rules for everyone and everyone:
Always thank the sender for the letter, especially if you see that he did a good job. Remember when we were all taught "magic" words? Let's not forget them, despite the fact that we are already adults.
Remain calm, even if the matter is extremely urgent and important. Nervousness and reproaches will definitely not lead to anything good.
Start and end your letter with common phrases. The degree of formality will depend on who you are texting with. If it's your boss or just an official, don't use Hello, Goodbye, or Kisses. And vice versa, if you write to a colleague or friend, you can do without the traditional "Sincerely".
You don't proofread the text
Typos can ruin the whole experience, so reread the letter carefully, preferably several times. In doubt about spelling or syntax - go to Gramotu.ru... It is better to measure seven times, that is, to check, than to then apologize for typos and prove that you are actually literate.
And by the way: if you are afraid to accidentally send an unfinished letter, first write the entire text in full, and only then type the recipient's address.
You do not put the right people in the copy of the letter
Let's see who can receive your letter at all. The To field is the primary recipient. The "Cc" field is the person who will receive the copy. He does not directly relate to the issue under discussion, but he wants or should be aware of. The "Bcc" field are hidden recipients. You add them, but the primary recipient doesn't see them. And here you need to be careful: you can confuse Cc and Bcc, and then the recipient will think that he is being spied on.
Keep in mind that it is important for some people to be aware of what is happening. You don’t want to hear reproaches like “How could you not add me to the copy ?! I worked on this project for two months! " If in doubt, add everyone who has anything to do with the question. Maybe not everyone will be happy that they are distracted, but there will be no complaints against you.
You are not subscribing
You wrote "Sincerely, Masha" and you think that everything is in order, but the recipient of the letter is sitting and wondering what kind of Masha she is. From the printing house? Maybe an illustrator? In order not to make him get lost in conjectures - set up a signature, and it will be automatically added to the end of each of your messages. Be sure to include your first name, last name, company name, job title, and contact information such as skype or phone number. You can add an address - although this is an advertisement, it is unobtrusive.
You are picking the wrong time
Writing letters at night is not a good idea. Reason one: you are probably terribly tired during the day, not very good at thinking and risk doing everything indicated errors... Reason two: an avalanche of morning mail will bury your midnight letter beneath it, and in the near future the addressee will definitely not see it. And third: apparently, you have nothing else to do, since you write business letters at three in the morning.
Our advice: if nothing Important and Urgent happens, send messages from Monday to Friday and during business hours, like all normal people.
Need to for your business? Create one yourself on Wix - it's easy and free!
Tamara Vorotyntseva - Development Director of the training company "BUSINESS PARTNER" (Moscow). Practicing business trainer, author of the book "Building a Personnel Training System" and publications in business publications in Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine. The creator of the Internet mailing list: "E-mail correspondence in business" on the server subscribe.ru! The book is a practical guide for business people who are in active correspondence with clients and partners. It presents tools that will help make electronic communication effective, optimal in time and results, as closely as possible to the norms and rules adopted in the modern business community. The author gives practical advice, illustrates his observations with cases from life, and gives reasoned conclusions. The text of the book is rich in recognizable examples of real business correspondence. The author shares his observations, techniques, "tricks" that can significantly affect the efficiency and effectiveness of a business email. If you are a business person and it is important for you to write promptly, concisely, competently, in accordance with the rules of good business style, this book will become your reliable assistant.
Book:
When working with the fields "To" ("To"), "Cc" ("Cc"), "Bcc" ("Bcc"), remember that this is an important part of the email that affects the further actions of the participants in the correspondence.
"To" ("That"). This field contains the address of the recipient to whom the letter is directly addressed and the information it contains. The author of the letter is waiting for an answer from the main recipient. If there are two addressees in this field, then the author of the letter is waiting for a response from each or one of them (keep this in mind if your name appears in the list of recipients). At the same time (if you are the sender) keep in mind that it is not very advisable to include more than one addressee in the “To” (“To”) field. You may not receive a single answer to a letter sent to several addressees, since everyone will think that the other will answer.
If the letter is addressed to you, but contains other recipients in the copy, be sure to use the "Reply ALL" button when replying! This will save the circle of addressees indicated by the initiator of the correspondence.
"Copy" ("Ss"). V In this field, put the addresses of recipients who, in your opinion, should be aware of the correspondence on this issue. These addressees receive information only "for information". The recipient in the copy usually does not have to reply to the letter, but if necessary, he can do it.
NOTE. IT IS IMPORTANT!
If your name is in the "Cc" ("Cc") field, then when entering into correspondence, remember that there are situations when it is extremely important to be polite. Use phrases: “Let me join the discussion” or “Let me join your conversation” or “Let me tell you my opinion”.
"Bcc" ("Bcc"). This field is prohibited for use in some companies, as it is a tool that is contrary to ethical communication standards. The purpose of this field is to invite the addressee to become a "secret witness".
If it is customary in your business practice to use this field in your work, consider the following. The recipient in “blind carbon copy” remains invisible to the main recipient and to the recipients in the carbon copy. Sometimes it is not out of place for the sender and the "secret recipient" to have a preliminary agreement (or subsequent information) about the reason and purpose of this method of information.
NOTE. IT IS IMPORTANT!
The "hidden" recipient should absolutely not enter into correspondence from this field.
You have probably already noticed thatwhen receiving letters from some authorsin the "to" section there is a list of dozens of emails from different people. Moreover, neither you nor these people gave their consent for these emails to be "exposed". Naturally, one of the addressees will unsubscribe from this mailing list (we are all tired of the flow of spam to our mails). But one thing is certain - all recipients will treat the author of the mailing list as an unprofessional person. And they are unlikely to agree to accept his offer.
How to make sure that you do not send a letter to each addressee separately and at the same time “do not shine for everyone in front of everyone”?
Almost any Post service allows you to do this.
Let's consider this opportunity using the example of the most popular mail for business mailing gmail.com
Typically, to send a letter, you use the "Write" window. By clicking on it, you see a new window "New message", into which you paste everything you need to create and send the letter itself.
We usually insert the emails of our addressees into the "Recipients" window.
Copy means "exact copy". This field is used when you just want to send an email to someone who is not the primary recipient. This way, you can keep the person informed while letting them know that they don't need to reply to the email. But all recipients of this letter see each other's addresses (and even names).
Bcc means "exact blind carbon copy". It works the same as Cc, but in this field, all recipient addresses are hidden.
So using this field is one of better ways to send a letter a large number people and respect confidentiality. This means that you do not spoil your relationship with them. Using this feature, you can insert up to 30 emails. And this means that with one click of a button you can send this letter to 30 recipients at once, without showing their emails.
And yet, if necessary, you can insert a picture into the body of the letter ( 4 ) or attach a file ( 5 ).
It is this post that gives the maximum number of editing opportunities.
Similarly, you can send a letter to several recipients at the same time and by mail yandex.ru.
Click on "Write" and then in the "To" window ( 1 ) paste the email of the first addressee, and then select the "Copy" function ( 2 ) or Bcc ( 3 ). Depending on whether you want all recipients of your letter to see all emails or keep their right to confidentiality of addresses, choose one of the functions. To add each next email to the list, you need to click on the button with the image of a man with a plus sign in front of it ( 4 ). Then you can select your permanent addressees from the drop-down list or enter their emails manually.
Pictures can be downloaded from Yandex Disk and files can be attached, too, as usual.
Click on the "Write" button, a window appears in which when you click the mouse in the "To" window ( 1 ), a drop-down list appears with a list of your permanent addressees ( 2 ). You can choose from this list what you want. Or just insert the email you want the destination manually.
Well, so that, let's formulate some useful rules. Teach your colleagues and ... um ... other partners to follow them, and you will have peace and tranquility in your mail. And maybe not only in her.
1.
If your explicit job is not to respond quickly to emails,. Only you decide at what speed and to whom to answer, and not the one who demands an answer from you immediately (unless it is your / big boss, with whom it is dangerous to conflict, but you can also teach him not to wait for quick answers). There are many reasons why you shouldn't rush to write a reply - you are busy, the letter requires preparation or thought, etc. There are really urgent and important questions, but even on them you should be politely asked (!) To answer quickly, and not demand an instant response. This rule should [try] to adhere to and all managers in relation to subordinates (and this is really difficult, believe me), except in cases of direct written order.
2. Don't write long letters. The advice seems banal, but from time to time we all have a desire to write a kilometer-long message (we will consider this a text in which there are more than 5 sentences). Hold back. No one likes to read long letters, and if you don't want to deliberately irritate them, don't. This rule does not apply to the presentation of a technical problem or a detailed solution, but even in such cases, you need to be laconic.
3.
Avoid unnecessary, I emphasize - unnecessary! - "Thank you". Imagine that you have asked someone to send you an important document (and for some reason it cannot be shared network resource or transfer in another way). The person responded to your request and sent a document. You write in response: "Thank you." Unless this is a pretty young lady, sensitive to signs of attention, it is not necessary to write like that.
Do you know how much an office worker spends on mail parsing? About a third of your working time! If you do not want to be involved in this nightmare in the life of a member of your (and even the neighboring) team, you do not need any "thanks". If you think that it is important for a person to know whether you received a document or not, relax - by default, he does not care. And rightly so - you need a document, not him. As a last resort, he will ask you to confirm receipt. The best gratitude is not to litter someone else's inbox.
4. Formulate your thoughts more clearly. Before sending a letter, think about whether the thought, question, request stated in it is clear enough? Put yourself in the shoes of the person you are writing to. Will he figure it out? Not everyone is as smart and quick-witted as you.
5. Don't write letters if you don't need to. Think, is it possible to do without this letter at all? When they start a project, the first thing they do is assess the risks of failure. Approach the letter in the same way: assess the risks of not writing the letter, will someone's work really suffer?
6.
in the hands of the manager. All the more reason to use this tool for its intended purpose - whoever you are escalating the problem to should get it from you. short description and approaches to the solution.
In our country, they like to escalate the problem by simply putting the bosses in a copy. This is stupidity, not escalation.
7.
Try to write letters only to those whom they concern. Often, out of fear, uncertainty or ignorance, employees copy everyone whose name comes to mind. Personally, I generally try not to read letters in which I am not the addressee. If they put me in a copy, I interpret it as "look, maybe you are interested in this topic too." No, not really, thanks, I have something to do.
Another problem is a violation of common sense. If you are discussing a problem with a customer project, discuss it internally first. Do not immediately connect him to the correspondence.
8. Check your mail from time to time - regularly, but not constantly. Do not stare at the yellow envelope, the salary is not there every day. In addition to reading mail, you also need (at least) work and think.
9. Do not add people to the correspondence if they have not asked for it. I love to suddenly receive a letter with a discussion for a couple of dozen people, which has been going on for a week, and the question "what the fuck?" people are sincerely surprised: "So everything is written there! Read it yourself!" Yes now, scattered. If you want something from me - give specific information and a specific question. You can still scroll down a couple of letters, but more is already a direct disrespect.
10. I am personally against blind copy. You cannot openly send a letter to a person - do not send it secretly either.
11. Another rule that I myself often, alas, break is the order of parsing unread letters. It is better not to read the history of correspondence, but to start from the top, with the freshest letters. You will save a lot of time in this way - often the problem that was formulated in the letter a few days or hours ago has already been either solved, or is being solved, or is irrelevant. "The last one came, the first one left."
12.
There are people who believe that every email requires a response. For example, a manager writes to an employee: "Think about how we can quickly solve problem A." An hour later, they meet on the way to the toilet, and the employee tells how he will solve the problem, and the manager agrees. An hour later, the employee receives a letter "We have just agreed that we will solve problem A this way and that." This makes sense when it comes to a really difficult task. But it's definitely not worth writing this for every nonsense.
Likewise, the employee is not obliged to respond to the letter - the problem was discussed and resolved (we will not talk here about situations where the manager and / or employee are idiots or scoundrels, in them, of course, you cannot do without a written record of every sneeze).
13.
You should not insert pictures, for example, a company logo, into your signature. It will be displayed incorrectly, or too colorful - annoying. This is especially not worth doing if you are working for an internal customer. He already knows what the logo looks like, and he is unlikely to confuse you with someone else.
It is also annoying when people write two signatures in one letter - in Russian and in English, and with errors in both versions.
Oh, yes, if you received a PhD in your youth - you don't have to write about this, unless you are an employee of a scientific organization. I personally do not care if the system administrator Petrov has a PhD - if only the Internet works.)
14. It is not necessary to pollute the mailboxes of those around you with letters of clarification of the relationship. Find out about them personally or in private correspondence. The most disgusting - letters in the style "but you are shit", "thank you for your directness, but no, it's you - shit, and your department is also shit." And so it can last for weeks.
15.
Literacy is important. Once again, literacy is important. If you are not sure about yours, check the letter with a spell checker before sending it. Simple formulas work differently: an illiterate letter from a manager to a subordinate - laughter and disrespect, an illiterate letter from a subordinate to a manager - irritation and claims to qualifications, an illiterate letter at one level of the hierarchy - a drop in the authority of a colleague in the eyes of others.
Don't you care about literacy? I don't understand why you read this post to the end.))
Didn't seem to have forgotten anything. Or add?)
Majority mail clients including Gmail, Mail.ru, Microsoft Outlook, Mozilla thunderbird , allow you to put multiple recipients in A copy(on the English language abbreviation adopted SS), or Bcc (CCB). V Copies recipients can see other people's addresses. In the second case, the identity of additional addressees is hidden.
Add recipient address
To specify the recipient (s) of the email, enter the email address in the field To whom (That):Some email clients allow you to simply enter a username in the field, which is then automatically filled in by the program.
If you use this field to send email to multiple people, each of them will be able to see full list other recipients.
How to create a copy of an email
Field CC or Copy is used for exchanging emails in a more indirect way than a field To whom... If you are in your email do not contact the person directly, but would like this person to follow the discussion in the thread of letters or simply be aware of this topic, the field Copy would be a great option. The addressee who is in Copies letters, receives an unread letter on his mailbox like the one who was placed in the field To whom; the only difference is to whom you address the letter first in the body of your e-mail. In the professional world, mailing to Copies is used very widely and serves to keep colleagues in the know about different events and topics.You can list email recipients simply by typing the list of addresses in the field Copy which is usually just below the field To whom... Everyone in this chain of recipients will be able to see the names and email addresses of all other recipients:
How to create a Bcc email
Each email client (Gmail, Outlook, Mozilla Thunderbird, Yahoo, etc.) enables the sender of a letter to reach out to a large number of people without advertising their information to other users in the email chain. This feature is called BCC or Hidden copy... You can hide recipients by entering their addresses in the field Hidden copy instead of using fields To whom and Copy:You can use this feature for both individual and group emails. This is especially useful if you want to keep your contacts private, protect them from spam and unsolicited emails, or simply if you don't want your recipients to know who received the same message.
Field Hidden copy not always available by default for all email clients. For example, in Outlook You will need to go to Parameters to access the setting; v Thunderbird you will need to select this function from the drop-down menu; v Gmail need to press a button Copy and Hidden copy; v Windows Live Mail You will need to press the keys at the same time Alt + B.
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