H ow to use E-mail to communicate effectively...

Use a meaningful subject line. Many people receive dozens of E-mail messages a day -- business, personal and junk. To get your message read, give it a subject line that tells the recipient why he/she should read it.

Trap: “Overselling” a message by saying it’s more important than it really is. That could result in none of your messages ever being read again.

Be concise. E-mail is for brief, easily read messages -- not lengthy letters or reports.

Use plain text. Your E-mail program may be able to handle all the fancy graphics found on Web pages. But many cannot -- and fancy graphics distract from the main message. So stick to simple text messages.

Use correct grammar and spelling. Almost all E-mail programs have a spell checker. Use it.

Avoid lengthy attachments. A large document can “choke” the recipient’s E-mail, especially if using a dial-up connection on the road. Don’t send a large document unless the recipient wants and expects it.