THE SCENARIO
I spend a lot of time every day sending out e-mails that never seem to get responses. I'm beginning to wonder if they even get read. What can I do to get more attention and response in my e-communication?
THE ADVICE
Most people in the business world receive 100 or more e-mails a day. To stand out amid this flood of missives, you need to grab and hold the attention of your recipients and persuade them to respond. Here are five key tips to make your e-mails more effective:
Focus the subject line
Researchers have found that most people spend only a few seconds deciding whether to open an e-mail message. Many base their decision on the subject line, often the only part of the message they’ll see in their inbox.
So make sure you summarize the topic and objective of your message in a few well-chosen words to flag what it’s about and why it matters to the recipient. If your e-mail might be read on a mobile device, it’s even more important to be concise and focused with the subject line.
Hook them from the start
Once they open an e-mail, many people will read only the first sentence or paragraph, so you need to capture all your vital information here. It pays to spend some time on phrasing and revising this critical section, for maximum impact. Things that help engage readers are quick questions or a summary of potential personal benefits. For example, you could ask their opinion on the strategy you’re going to explain, or point out that your tips will help improve their productivity.
Keep it focused – with an F
Encourage people to continue reading by not only keeping the content brief and focused on their interests, but also easy to follow.
Research into online reading behaviour has found that eyeballs most easily track messages that they can scan in a pattern shaped like a capital F. The subject and first paragraph are the top line of the F, where the most attention is focused. The eyes then scan down, like the vertical line of the F. Keep your paragraphs short so the bulk of words will sit on the left side, where eyeballs focus.
Include a boldface subheading or key phrase as the second horizontal line on the F. Because people scan e-mails, rather than thoroughly read them, it’s best to use numbered lists, subheads, bullet points, bolded words and other visual highlights to grab attention.
Tell them what to do and why
If you ask the reader to do something too early in the text of your message – especially if you’re asking them to spend money or buy something – they will likely stop reading. But you should ask those who read through to the end to respond in a specific way.
Be clear and assertive, but not pushy. Don’t assume people will read between the lines; instead, repeat why it’s beneficial to them to respond. Get personal and thank them for taking the time to read your e-mail. After all, they probably have dozens of others to plow through.
Polish, shorten, then send
Before you click on Send, review your message to catch those common mistakes that can erode your reputation, especially using words that sound similar and won’t be caught by spell check, such as confusing “it’s” with “its.”
Keep your e-mail short by chopping redundant phrases. Replace non-vital information with links to more detailed content for the few readers who want to explore further.
Until they become automatic through practice, these steps may add a little preparation time. But soon you’ll find they’re a wise investment. When you respect people’s time and interests, they’ll be far more likely to pay attention to your e-mails and respond to you.
Barb Sawyers is a Toronto-based business trainer and author of Write Like You Talk – Only Better.
