2024-05-02 - As per our conversation or Checked By - Chewing the Fat 📈

[samsmithssw]

Hey SSW'ers,

Let's talk about these two rules:
https://www.ssw.com.au/rules/as-per-our-conversation-emails/
and
main rule (where the comments are shown) https://www.ssw.com.au/rules/checked-by-xxx/

Common topics - food for thoughts:

• Are you sold on this rule and do you try to get it "Checked by" before you hit 'Send'?

• Some people add "as per our conversation" to indicate the email is authorized via a prior conversation. Did you ever get confused about the rule and add "as per our conversation" when you had not discussed all the contents in the email?

• Do you write an email with what you want to say before you get onto a call with your client/approver?

[Freego1783]

I was clearly not used to doing this before I came to work for SSW and I was kind of reluctant in the beggining but now I can see why it's a good practice! The "check-by" part is not always easy to do for us baguettes in France because of time zones though.

[tiagov8]

Loved the analogy of "checked by" being a "PR approval".

[AlexRothwell]

There was discussion in the video about "as per our conversation" not including new topics which I agree with - be topics should be separate emails. However I think it's also useful when it sometimes contains new information such as when you were going to quickly check for an answer to a question after the call. In those cases I'd still provide an overview of the fact that I was going to follow up on the question but also include the result

[drwharris]

I now think of them like a "checked by" on a for the record email. "Hey [customer], I am going to send this email to you to confirm our discussion but would like you to check it first"

[camillars]

Like a lot of people here, I was not used to these practices, especially the checked by.

Being a non native English speaker, it really helped me when I first joined SSW in 2018 to improve my written communication skills and email clarity. These are super helpful rules 🤓

[ozdemir-mehmet]

I prefer "As discussed" to "As per our conversation" (too wordy), and yes use it often.

Checked By is of limited use with add-ons like Grammarly that fix spelling, grammar, and more importantly "tone". Combine that with LLMs, instances of getting an actual "Checked by" should be rare.

[MarcusIrmscherSSW]

I have always been a fan of good communication and the "As per our conversation" rule is a great tool and something I've just naturally done. The "Check by" rule however has taken a little getting used to, it definitely comes in handy.

[jakebayliss]

"As per our conversation" seems very "Karen" to me

[jaydenalchin]

+1- "As discussed" feels a lot more friendly and I use As per our convo a lot more than Checked by

[Calinator444]

I think checked by is about more than just spelling and punctuation though. If you get a checked by, you're often checking either that:

1. You understand the task at hand (assuming the person checking the email assigned the task)
2. The task your sending makes sense and is a good decision (assuming a third party is checking the email)

[bradystroud]

Grammar and spelling should be perfect before a 'Checked by'.

IMO 'Checked by Mehmet' means Mehmet agrees and is across the tasks/decision (so ask him for help)
its more similar to a '+1'

[SamBWagner]

I like both of these concepts. I'm definitely one to lean on a quick call over the herculean effort of getting a million checked by's. But, when the content is important, I'll seldom skip this procedure.

[ncn-ssw]

• If you're recording a decision, you need to ensure that the decision maker agrees with the record of that decision.
• If correspondence is important, it should always be checked - it is too easy to read what you thought you wrote rather than what you did.

[sethdaily]

Yes yes and yes

[joshbermanssw]

Im a fan of both and I think there have been a few times a 'checked by' has saved me from sending v2's v3's etc.

[Tanya-Leahy]

Being new to the company, "checked by" has helped me a lot. I have gained a better understanding of how things are done at SSW by getting others to do a "checked by" on my emails.

[ozair-ashfaque]

I also prefer to have the email checked by the person with whom I had the conversation with for "As per our conversation" email

[kikibianc]

This is one of those rules that are hard to learn, easy to master.
Difficult to get going, but when you get in the habit of doing it, it becomes easy - it's good to see the gaps in your thinking when it's being checked by someone else.

Also, don't forget the test please, which is just a bigger checked by/as per our conversation together :D

• https://www.ssw.com.au/rules/request-a-test-please/
• https://www.ssw.com.au/rules/conduct-a-test-please/

[stephanfakossw]

Very important one to remember. Helps decision making and creates efficiencies by improving comms.
Yes, no , yes...

[leahy268]

I struggled with "Checked by" for a start but it certainly stops misunderstandings. If I am able to get someone to give me a checked by then I know that they understand completely before I send the email

[babakamyljanovssw]

Both rules are important. English as second language for me, "Checked by" rule helped a lot to correct the email before hitting to send.

[tkapa]

Are you sold on this rule and do you try to get it "Checked by" before you hit 'Send'?

Yes - It's always easier to have the peace of mind that if someone forgets something down the line that they did check things beforehand.

Some people add "as per our conversation" to indicate the email is authorized via a prior conversation. Did you ever get confused about the rule and add "as per our conversation" when you had not discussed all the contents in the email?

Not Really - Sometimes I play fast and loose with it, but I generally won't just make up the things that we talked about.

Do you write an email with what you want to say before you get onto a call with your client/approver?

Most of the time yes - It's just easier to get your thoughts down so that you can stay on track and keep things concise.

[cvionnet]

The 'checked by' rule ensures that both the writer and the reviewer focus on the form and content. As mentioned in the video, this makes them both accountable. Additionally, both parties learn and improve because what one person has not yet learned may be what another has already forgotten 😁

[zl24622]

Use as per our conversation very often and think it's helpful.
Checked by not too often, mainly because of the time spent. But if it's an important email (e.g. sent to a client), will get people checked before sending it.

[miichaelsmedley]

As per our conversation, it has saved me many times and checked by also, often picking up silly errors that as an author you don't see.

[Calinator444]

At first I thought it seemed redundant getting someone to check an email you're sending them. Really though an email isn't just for direct communication between you and the recipient. It's a receipt that confirms that a conversation took place, and, more often than not that a decision was made, or a task was assigned.

[tino-liu]

Combining "Checked by..." and "As per our conversation" really helps with clearing things up. This "receipt" is so important that if anything happens, there's always a point to fall back and refer to. Great rules!

[Marxoz]

I use both these on a daily basis. The "as per our conversation" is a must have for me. It also allows me to go back and look at what was last discussed on a project after a rough weekend or some time of :)

The checked by is just as good. I won't always include it in the email at the top, it all depends on the client, but I still get it checked regardless.

[jimmidier]

Draft an email before calling the approver is a good practise to avoid misunderstandings originated from verbal communication

[Aibono1225]

Both rules are important for efficient communication. I also love SSW's culture where everyone is willingly helping to check through.

[andrewwaltosssw]

I like getting a Checked By if I am not 100% sure that the content of my email is accurate. Even though there is some overhead, Checked By is a good way to verify intent and potentially avoid confusion. Sometimes a different set of eyes can reveal something that wasn't quite obvious at first pass. Internally, everyone knows the rule and knows what to expect with this process, but a client may be confused about this.
As per our conversation emails are great for having a record in history for both parties.

[Levijj22]

Super important in the sales world - everyone has a terrible memory.

[GordonBeeming]

I love the more conversational videos, I enjoy getting a 2nd set of eyes on some emails, it helps confirm I understand what I thought I understand too 😅

[arig2024]

Love the ‘as per our conversation’.
‘checked by..’ is great - as long as the person checking can be obtained in a timely manner.

[vladislav-kir]

Both rules are extremely useful to ensure that everyone is on the same page about the work that needs to be done.