While there are so many options available for work communication today, email still reigns as king. In a recent Gallop poll, employees spend an average of 25 percent of their time at work, either reading, writing, sending, or replying to emails. This only means that in order to communicate successfully with colleagues, managers, and clients/customers, having a good command of email is still a skill to advance your career.
Sharpening your email communication skills could go a long way toward you having a reputation as an effective communicator.
Don’t waste your subject line
This is your first (and on occasion, last) chance to get the recipient to open your email. Saying “Hi!” tells the reader nothing except “delete me.” If they don’t know you, it will just look like spam.
Try one of these if you can’t think of one:
- Question about the Wednesday meeting
- Need help with Project ABC
- Useful feedback needed on San Diego conference
- Can you meet James Smith?
Keep in mind the subject line gets cut off. So, in the (high) event, it may be read on a mobile, keep it interesting but brief and to the point.
Show urgency ONLY if it’s urgent
Adding a sense of urgency to the email (again, ONLY if it’s urgent) increases your chances of getting it opened. Very sparingly, repeating again, very sparingly, use caps if need be. Take a look at these:
- Pls send your spreadsheet ASAP
- URGENT: We need your vote!
- ATTN: Need help in meeting room
- RSVP: Answer pls by EOD
- TIMELY: Deadline 5pm today for sign-up
Remember to do this only when you have to. They will lose their effect fast when overused.
Be right to the point
Odds are high that you scan your emails quickly to identify the main points and to see what gets an instant response and what can be delayed. This is pretty much exactly what your recipients do as well.
Don’t waste their time with preambles. Get to the point immediately. If you need to add an explainer, do it afterword.
When appropriate, use a bulleted list to help the reader quickly understand your message.
Short is good
Keeping it brief is good, but do not go on and on after you’ve made the point. Only include what’s most important then stop typing.
Long blocks of text make people sigh and either put reading it off or avoid reading it altogether if they have to.
Add a call-to-action
If you need your recipient to act, then say so. Guide them to precisely what it is you need them to do. Let them know what response you need, how to respond, and by when. This is known as a call-to-action (CTA) in professional email circles.
Make it easy to respond
In keeping with the CTA, make sure it is as easy as possible for your reader to respond to your ask. Add a URL link or a phone number in the body of the email or an attachment to save them time looking for a copy. Also, give them the option to respond even if the deadline doesn’t work for them.
- I’ve attached the file
- Can you reply by EOD? Thanks
- Can you RSVP using this link by noon?
- Please call me by 9am. My mobile is 000-000-0000
- Please join the team at our Slack group: abc123.slack, password: 1234
Don’t forget you
End the email with a note of thanks and use your name. Ensure your signature prepopulates when appropriate.
Following up
Once a deadline has passed, don’t be shy to email the recipient to check for their response. Sometimes they may just forget:
- Hi [person’s name], I saw that you didn’t get back to me about [topic]. Can you get back to me by [give a time/date]? Thanks!
- Hi [person’s name], did you see my email about [topic]? If I could get a reply by [give a time/date] that would be great. Thanks!
Final thoughts
Don’t overwhelm with emails. The art to an effective email that gets you noticed rests with the tips above. Who knows?? Maybe one of those emails you send will get you that next promotion!
The post Writing Emails: How to Get Them Read and Responded to By Your Colleagues and Managers appeared first on PM Mastery.