This email style works for myself.

Newspaper style email

Study how newspaper article is structured. It begins with a “hook.” A simple sentence designed for capture the reader’s attention. For email, this is the combination of the subject line and the 1st sentence.

The first paragraph tells the reader what is the bottom line, conclusion, decision, action item, or whatever the purpose of the email message. It needs to be clear what the readers are supposed to do with this message.

Follow it by a slightly longer paragraph on the basic supporting argument for the 1st paragraph. Do this in the “executive summary” style by focusing on high-level judgment, summary of facts, and the key reasons.

Next are the supporting data. Try to be short.

Write the email as if you are a reporter writing a newspaper story. At almost anytime, the reader can skip the rest of the story without losing the key points.

Fact or Opinion?

Are you delivering facts or you are expressing opinions? It is OK to mix them, but do so with care. It is not a good idea to deliver opinions as if they are facts. If you are delivering facts, make sure they are. It does not matter if your source was wrong. It is your email.

In general, for VP or higher, the general guideline is to have 3 levels of back-ups. Every point you are making must be based on data, not just someone’s (or your) opinion. Those data should be based on more substantial and detail data too. Only the 3rd level can be based on people’s thoughts or opinions. It is OK to deviate from this guidelines, but you should know how much of your material is based on facts or just opinions.

Pay attention to headers

Particularly, who are on the “To” list and “Cc?” What’s the subject line?

If you are replying to a message, are you sure the recipients are still right? Should you remove few or add someone? Is the subject line still sensible? Remove excessive “Re” or “FWD” tags.

Include just the right amount of the original message. It is a good idea to cull unnecessary forwarded messages.

This recent article from Fortune is worth reading (and keeping).

Hal read my entry and asked the origin of 狗不理 that has been selling since 1858, originally started in 天津(TianJin). Yes, in this city, it is history everywhere.

I told him the story I knew of, that this vendor's first version was so bad that customers threw them to ground and dogs would walked away. He was so humiliated by the failure; he swore to reclaim his reputation. At last, like so many Chinese folklores, the hundredth version was so good they wanted to name the style after him. Remembering the 1st humiliation that led to this success, he branded the new style of BaoZi.

It turned out there is a less inspiring, but probably more realistic story. It is also authentically described on the wall of the 大閘欄(DaZhaLan: a retail alley in QianMen) branch.

This man named his new son 狗子(GouZi: Doggie). (Many Chinese believe that if you name your prized son or daughter as an animal, they will gain the resiliency as such. The ghosts and spirits will also think you simply got a new pet and won't bother to try to claim him away.)

Doggie grew up to quite a chef specializing in making BaoZi. They were so good; he couldn'™t meet the demand from the customers. Frequently, he focused 100% on making them and ignored the customers who try to buy those prized BaoZi. As people got used to his style, they called those "Doggie won't pay attention to you&quot BaoZi.