The modern business environment is wonderfully diverse and moves at an excruciatingly fast pace. When you need to send a message to your team or to the company as a whole, you may be tempted to send an email, hit “Send All”, and then leave. But is email the most effective way for your message? Answer the following seven questions first, and then you can answer this one.

# 1 How fast do you need an answer?

If you are looking for immediate answers to relatively simple questions, email is the best medium. Those most likely to answer are those with the answer at their fingertips. Those who ignore your emails would not have responded anyway.

# 2 What is your legacy?

If you are sending an update, a reminder, or a check-in, then an email is definitely the way to go. If you are sharing a detailed report or proposal, meeting minutes, policy changes, or instructions that your audience may need to review, an email is not the best option. Many people read and then immediately delete their emails, so use a more permanent medium for things that need to subsist.

# 3 What are the consequences?

If the message you need to convey involves serious changes and consequences, it is best to be more formal. With a note, it is formatted specifically, including company letterhead, date, recipient list, and edit dates.

# 4 Are graphics / visuals involved?

Email can be a bit tricky when there are charts, graphs, or even just bullets involved. The hours you spent formatting the perfect email can be wasted when your readers are on different platforms. Outside of the building, the chances that all recipients are using the same web browser are slim, let alone the same email program. A large number of email addresses are simply forwarded to the user’s preferred email client. Many recipients read your emails on their phones or tablets. The best way to ensure that your entire audience can see the entire intended format is to write it down as a note and save it as a pdf file. This file is like an image that is universally readable on most platforms.

# 5 Will it print?

This fits with the previous question. If so, then you want it to be as easy as possible for your readers to hit that print button, so use a note. If not, send that email.

# 6 How sensitive is the information?

Even with lengthy disclaimers after signing, an email is quickly and easily forwarded. If you are discussing proprietary information, customer data, or anything else that may affect the business as a whole, it may be best to have a real paper record. An innocent Forward or Reply to All could cause irreparable harm. Consider how the information could harm or help your competitors and what are the chances that any part of your communication will be taken out of context. At best, it’s difficult to fully control the audience an email is reaching. Confidential information is best shared in a more formal and controlled environment.

# 7 Where is my audience?

If you have to get something to a lot of people in a lot of different places, then email is by far the cheapest. If you meet all the criteria for a longer or more formal correspondence, consider a hybrid: a short explanation via email with a PDF attachment (or link to) the memo.

Now you know!

By answering the seven questions above, you can judge the best way to send the information that needs to be sent. Check out my other articles on how to write more effectively for diverse audiences.