“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”
— George Bernard Shaw

There are hundreds or maybe thousands of tips and tricks for sending good and effective emails, but I believe these three may be the most important.

1. Write the body of your email first. It’s tempting to go through the steps from top to bottom, but I highly recommend doing them in reverse order. The body of your email is the inner sanctum of this communication, so get it right first. Make sure your thoughts are written clearly and concisely. Check your spelling and grammar. If it’s a really important message, have someone else read it ahead of time and give you feedback, or at least read it out loud to yourself.

2. Make your subject line match the body of your email. The subject line is this email’s chance at a first impression. Make it a good one. Make it useful for the people who see it.

3. Send your email to recipients who should actually receive the email. You’re asking every person who receives this email to give you some of their precious time. Is this email worth that high price to them?