Many businesses focus on improving email marketing and creating amazing newsletters for their customers. What about all the other hundreds of emails you send out over the course of your week?
Whether your business is about web design, sales, partnerships, operations, or networking, creating great professional emails is a critical part of growing your business and career.
How to get people to read your email messages
This is not a rigorous lesson on “headlines for doing business email marketing,” but rather tips for getting what you really want: getting people to read your emails and respond. Here are some simple approaches to try:
Subject lines
1) Summarize your message briefly in the subject line
Vague subject lines don’t attract people to open your emails; Busy people will lose patience with ambiguous emails and ignore you. Get to the point in the subject line.
2) Use terms like “Urgent” at the beginning
Using a term like “Important” and then a colon or a dash followed by the subject will create a sense of urgency. The reader may suspect that the email is spam, but will often open the email to make sure that something important is not missing.
3) make it personal
Establishing a personal connection outside of the bat can potentially increase the chances of email clicks, but if it feels forced it can backfire. Using people’s names in the subject line occasionally works, but this tactic has become a bit overused. You can also try a theme like “Our Phone Call,” which may make them wonder if they have a phone call scheduled with you. Be sure to specify in the body of the email that it refers to a phone call that you are planning to schedule with them, so that it does not appear misleading.
The body
1) Start with “You”
This is a basic business writing principle that applies to sales and beyond. Start by addressing what really matters to the reader: themselves. 2. Try phrases like “you mentioned” or even praising them, for example, “I heard you are the best at _____.” It doesn’t hurt to end with a “you” sentence either, to bring the subject back to them.
2) Address a single topic
Avoid discussing multiple ideas or requirements in one email, they will most likely get lost in the fold. You will get a lot more responses if you break the emails into one topic each. This can be extremely useful for operations and business management.
3) Be concise and use bullet points
This may seem a bit concise, but it actually shows respect for the reader’s time. Don’t write long paragraphs; create a quick outline with short points. Try to keep it under four sentences, wait until you get a response to write longer emails.
4) Spell checker, with your own eyes
Most browsers and email programs have a spell checker built in, but it won’t catch all errors (like “acer” instead of “do” or “are” versus “their”). Particularly if you are emailing an individual for the first time, a glaring mistake can give you a reason not to take you seriously.
5) Include a PS (Post scriptum)
People often read the beginning and the end of a page. PS is often seen as less serious, and much less effort to read.
6) Be aware of your tone
Remember that sarcasm and irony are difficult to convey through text, especially if you have never met this person. A humorous tone can be easily misunderstood, and must be approached with care.
More tips
1) If you have a mutual acquaintance, please refer to them
Mention your personal reference at the beginning of the email, or even in the headline if it’s a significant enough connection. If your mutual relative is willing to do the introduction for you, you will increase your likelihood of a response.
2) Address your message to one person
If you send an email to a handful of people, no one will feel like they are directly responsible for responding. Email a person in the “To” column, then you can feel free to “Cc” others who you feel are important. Be sure to address the person to whom you are addressing the email by name.
3) Follow up until you get a response
Please continue to follow up respectfully every 2-3 days until you receive a response. Keep messages incredibly short. You can also try a specific approach after sending your first email; send an immediate follow-up email with a subject line beginning with “And …” or “One last thing …” Two emails give your name a greater presence in your inbox, but make sure you don’t do this more than one time.