高效英文郵件寫作 - 構思篇

構思篇我們會從下面5個部分來說明怎麼構思一封高效的郵件

• 何時使用郵件

• 你的目的
• 關鍵信息
• 篩選信息
• 優化結構

何時使用郵件

為什麼把這個放在構思的第一位？因為如果在該打電話的時候你用了郵件，該轉個身和旁邊同事溝通的時候你還是喜歡敲鍵盤，那麼你郵件寫得再漂亮也是白搭。

郵件是一個非常方便的溝通工具，方便不代表濫用。看看下面這段有點誇張的來自新加坡電影《我在政府部門的日子Just Follow Law》的片段，郵件變成官僚政府部門唇槍舌戰，勾心鬥角的工具：

PS: 電影不錯，有興趣可以看下

其實只要定義好什麼是不合適使用的場合，剩下的場景，你就大膽用吧。

以下是不適合的場景：

• 緊急度：當出現緊急事件需要即時反饋的時候
• 隱私度：出現不適合被轉發八卦的內容的時候
• 內容複雜度：當內容過於複雜通過郵件會造成溝通困難的時候
• 一對多/多對多溝通：牽涉到多方討論
• 1X1：和上級平級做敏感一對一談話的時候。

以下幾個例子都是不適合的場合，原因自己分析：

Hi, Sienna,

Thanks for filling in for me at the meeting yesterday—I owe you one. By the way, I heard that your manager is thinking about leaving the company. His daughter mentioned it to my daughter in gymnastics class. Better keep it to yourself for now, but I thought you』d like to know.

Byron

Billie,

I know how you feel about that invoice. I almost lost it and screamed at the finances woman, because she kept telling me she didn』t have it. There seems to be some sort of vortex of doom around it because I can』t find my copy either, and I know you sent me at least two of them. I feel like shooting myself in the face! I』m afraid to go down to Financial Services myself because at this stage I』d get in a fistfight. There is no reason this should be happening. Could you please fax me copies ONE MORE TIME? This will get solved today, or I start building a death-ray laser gun out of office supplies. I would rather quit than deal with this problem any more! It』s become emblematic of my struggles with this organization』s bureaucracy and with certain people』s incompetence.

Sorry for the tirade,

Parker

你的目的

確定郵件是你此次溝通合適的工具後，下一步就是要弄清楚此次溝通的目的。

不管什麼郵件，都分成兩種目的

• Writing to inform：讓你知道某個信息
• Writing to influence：讓你做某個動作

底下是Writing to inform的例子

• Distribute an agenda at least three days before a meeting.
• Computers will be down for three hours on Friday.
• If you want to be reimbursed for your expenses, you need to submit original receipts.
• The Board will select a new CEO at its next meeting. Here』s a list of the candidates.

底下是Writing to influence的例子

• Send me comments on my proposal by Friday.
• Change the procedures for processing invoices.
• We plan to launch three new products next spring. Please see the attached descriptions for details.
• Give me approval to hire an assistant.
• Reschedule our appointment.

區別很明顯對不對。Inform只要收件人看到你的信息，郵件就已經成功達到目的；而Influence是要收件人看到你的信息後，還要做你要求的動作，否則你的郵件就算失敗。

而且我們強調一封郵件只談一個主題

關鍵信息

確定完郵件類型（Inform/Influence），再來就是一句話說出你的關鍵信息，讓接收者第一時間看到。

關鍵信息一般遵循：

• 問題
• 指令
• 信息
• 不超過三句話

底下是關鍵信息例子

• When can I expect to receive the specifications for the new system?
• I』m wondering whether the data in this report is correct.
• Can your team meet with me while I』m in town next Thursday?
• As you asked, I am sending the report of our investigation as an attachment.
• For your information, attached is the preliminary agenda for next month』s sales conference.
• Please let me know by April 6 if you have additions or corrections.

篩選信息

只有關鍵信息有時候不足以讓接受者理解你郵件的內容，這個時候在關鍵信息後需要增加補助信息。如何篩選出邏輯上關聯的信息放進郵件正文遵循底下的原則：

• 為什麼問問題？
• 為什麼有指令？
• 聽眾和你的熟悉度
• 公司內？公司外？
• 最重要：邏輯上要圍繞關鍵信息

優化結構

大量的信息組合在一起，如何用高效的結構組織起來是很重要的。

商務郵件我們推薦用金字塔結構。

構思完成，如何下筆，請關注下周會發布的 高效英文郵件寫作 - 下筆篇