Juanita's first email subject line is, "What To Bring To Friday's Meeting," what question might Juanita ask herself when reading this subject line?
A) What is this?
B) Do I have to read it?
C) How does this affect me?
D) What will I need to do?
Use the following scenario for the next three questions: Stan is a technical communicator who has just begun a new position in an organization with over 50 employees. He has several higher-level managers in different departments, several same level co-workers, and several staff that he manages, as well. Stan is in charge of composing new company policies about employees using their phones at work. Stan has composing the document and is ready to email the updated company policies to the entire organization. He doesn't want to get a bad reputation by delivering bad news to his co-workers, and he certainly doesn't want those above him to think he is criticizing them for using their cell phones at work. Stan, then, works out a plan to email each target group with a different introduction so that he can begin to establish trust and credibility as a writer and project an image that conveys his level in the organization.

Question

Juanita's first email subject line is, "What To Bring To Friday's Meeting," what question might Juanita ask herself when reading this subject line?
A) What is this?
B) Do I have to read it?
C) How does this affect me?
D) What will I need to do? 
Use the following scenario for the next three questions: Stan is a technical communicator who has just begun a new position in an organization with over 50 employees. He has several higher-level managers in different departments, several same level co-workers, and several staff that he manages, as well. Stan is in charge of composing new company policies about employees using their phones at work. Stan has composing the document and is ready to email the updated company policies to the entire organization. He doesn't want to get a bad reputation by delivering bad news to his co-workers, and he certainly doesn't want those above him to think he is criticizing them for using their cell phones at work. Stan, then, works out a plan to email each target group with a different introduction so that he can begin to establish trust and credibility as a writer and project an image that conveys his level in the organization.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When determining what subject lines for emails, you have to consider the readers' perspective and what they will gain by reading your email. Employees in most organizations, particularly large ones, have more to read than they can and will read. If you want others to read your email, make sure that important information-the information that the reader can use to do their job better or that is relevant to them-is included in the subject line of the email so that they open it. Readers generally run through several questions in their heads whenever interacting with a technical communication: What is this?; Do I have to read it?; How does it affect me?; What will I have to do?; What are the main ideas?.

Juanita's First Email Subject Line Is, "What to Bring to Friday's