We've spent the majority of the program trying to reduce the amount of time you spend in your email client. Today, we're going to focus on increasing the effectiveness of the emails you write. If you send an email that makes it clear what you're asking, and makes it as easy as possible for the recipient to deliver, you're more likely to get what you need.

There are a variety of lists of email etiquette tips online. But many are outdated, and you probably already know the basics such as "do not type in ALL CAPS" and "write in complete sentences." Here are some more advanced tips to improve your recipients' inbox health, your perception as an expert emailer, and your chances of having your email fulfill its purpose.

1. Make your subjects searchable.

Remember Day 3? Many people (especially if they're doing this program!) use search to find messages again. Include unique search terms and dates so that your recipients can easily locate them later.

Not good: (no subject), hey, urgent, your product, help

Good: Who is attending the werewolf conference on 11/12/13? , Recommended web services for delivering weekly chicken

2. Summarize the email in the first sentence.

Many email clients provide preview texts of emails. Having a useful first sentences makes it easier for the user to skim their inbox and determine what requires action.

Not good: Blah blah blah. Can you review this and get back to me?

Good: Can you review this and get back to me? Blah blah blah.

Good: Just FYI: Blah blah blah blah blah.

3. Create new email threads when the topic changes

Email clients such as Gmail automatically thread messages. But as the thread gets larger, the emails become more difficult to manage, especially with many recipients. Emails get lost, and searching becomes more challenging.

If the topic changes, start a new thread by changing the subject line.

4. If your email contains a number of questions or requests, specifically number them in your email.

This organizes your email and prevents miscommunication.

1. Can you fry the turkeys for tonight's gala ball?

2. Can you make sure we have enough ammunition for the potato launcher?

5. If you have long paragraphs, consider bolding the key phrases.

This is especially useful when scheduling specific times and dates.

Good: Hey, everybody, we're going to meet at Burger King on April 25, 2012 for Mike's birthday. Don't forget!

6. For long emails, a summary, or outline at the beginning is useful, followed by a "more information" section

People like to skim emails. An outline at the beginning covers the basics for them, and the "more information" section is there if the recipients want a deeper read.

7. If your response will take some time, let your sender know with a shorter email immediately.

Let your sender know that their email did not get lost in the mix. Don't let your recipient worry about whether you have read the message or not.

Good: Thanks for the email. I'm busy shaving my yak this afternoon, but I'll get back to you soon.

8. If you are expecting a response in a certain number of days, make it clear and set a deadline in your email.

Include something like. "Action required: Please confirm by Monday". You might even consider placing the deadline in the subject if it's unexpectedly close.

9. Get in the habit of using a phrase like "I have attached" when sending attachments.

It reminds the recipient that there is an attachment and makes it clear that something is amiss if you forget to attach the attachment. Also, email clients such as Gmail are now good at detecting phrases like "I have attached" and will warn you if it thinks that you have forgotten to attach something.

10. If you are sending a message to someone you haven't communicated with often in the past, and you don't get a reply, it might have gone to the Spam folder.

Spam filters are sometimes unreliable, and false positives happen. Send a simple email to your recipient telling them what you sent. That way, if the recipient does not see the email because it landed in the Spam folder, he or she will know that something is wrong.

11. Include your contact information in your email signature.

Because email clients have great search capability and large storage space, people are relying on their email inboxes for contact information more than ever.

It may seem redundant to include your email address in your email signature, but even that information can be useful as emails are forwarded around.

12. Be careful when replying all

Before clicking "reply all," consider the time and privacy of your recipients. In many cases, only the original sender needs a reply. Also, if the receipient is a mailing list, be extra careful; you may be sending your email to more people than you realize.

13. Master the Out Of Office Auto-reply

Let your senders know:

1. How "out of office" you are: on vacation, checking emails infrequently, unable to check email at all

2. When they can expect a response

3. What their action should be in the meantime

Final Thoughts

Today, we presented a few techniques to make your email more likely to succeed. Tomorrow, we'll talk about how when your email hits the recipient's inbox can matter just as much as what you write.