Please don’t delete my email!

0 CommentsWednesday • February 17, 2010 • by Michele Dortch

Like many business professionals, my email in-box is slammed with hundreds of messages each day. I spend valuable time rifling through irrelevant messages just to uncover the important ones. Most frustrating are the times when I miss an important message because it was buried in a sea of newsletters, promotional pitches, and sales emails.

Email is losing its effectiveness.

My email experience isn’t uncommon. Today, email is the preferred method of communication for most people and with that popularity comes the problem of overfull in-boxes that have reduced a highly effective mode of communication to the biggest productivity waste in most workplaces.

The good news is that email users are sophisticated. They’re developing rules, filters and labels to help organize incoming messages. The bad news is, your messages might be ruled, filtered and labeled straight to the trash bin. The important message you sent to internal or external customers may never be read.

It’s time to reclaim your place in the email inbox!

Given the vast number of email messages a customer receives each day, businesses have to get smart about email communication. Here’s how:

Have a purpose.

Whether you are sending a regular company newsletter, an informational message to employees or an inquiry to attract new business, be clear about your intent…and please, don’t make it all about you or your business. What do you want to see happen as a result of your e-mail being read? How is that intent serving the reader? Let’s face it, we live in a “What’s in it for me?” world, so be sure that you have an “end in mind” focus that serves your reader, more than it serves you.

Follow basic rules of writing.

The opening sentences of your e-mail should describe your purpose clearly. Take time to construct concise, direct sentences rather than long, run-on sentences that wander endlessly. Check your message for spelling and grammar errors. And by all means, use proper capitalization and a readable font style. Avoid using all CAPS or all lowercase letters and stick to font styles that are professional and easy on the eyes (i.e. Times, Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, etc.).

Write effective subject lines.

E-mail users are bombarded with an overwhelming number of messages each day, many of which are spam or junk. To save time, most will scan the subject lines and decide whether to hit ‘delete’ or open the message. You can improve the chances of your message being read by developing clear subject lines.

Never send a message without a subject line.
Always be specific. For example, “FYI: Q4 finance report attached” offers more clarity than, “Report.”

Stick to one main point.

Your emails should contain one core message, which should be directly related to your subject line. Avoid appending an email with important information that isn’t relevant to the main message. For example, an email delivering a Q4 finance report shouldn’t include information about a marketing meeting next week. Lumping two important messages into a single e-mail increases the chances of one message being overlooked or forgotten.

Use an e-mail signature.

Don’t make the recipient of your e-mail dig for your contact information, especially if you want to receive a response. Always include the details of how to get in touch with you. At a minimum, you should include your full name, title, company name, and telephone number(s).

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Posted in: Communication