Read, write, send, repeat! Most of us spend hours writing and responding to emails each week – but are you doing it well? If you’re spending precious time writing emails and not getting the results you want, it’s time to take a fresh look at your approach.
Here are 4 easy ways to write better emails right now.
Rather just hire an expert? Get in touch today and let me take a job off your plate.
The response you want should be crystal clear
Before you write a single word stop and ask yourself, why am I sending this email? What do I want people to do? If you make this crystal clear, chances are you’ll get the response you want.
Pay extra attention to your:
- Subject line
- Opening statement
- Call to action (at the end)
Subject
Your subject line prompts people to open your email and also sets the tone. Keep your subject short and descriptive so that people know exactly what to expect. And if you need a fast response then flag this in your subject line – for example, “Finance manager job description – for approval today”.
Opening
Next, you need to “tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em”. That is, open with a statement that sets out what your email is about and why you’re sending it. For example:
Hi Barbara,
I hope you’re well. I have finished a first draft of the report but I need to check two things with you…
Call to action
In most cases you should add a concrete call to action. Whether you want feedback, a decision or an RSVP, tell people exactly what you want. Make your call to action specific so that it’s easy for people to respond. For example:
- “Do you prefer option A or B?
- “Do you have anything to add to this? Please let me know by 11am tomorrow”.
Look for words that make you sound smart – and DELETE!
I have to admit, this one still trips me up at times but it makes a real difference: look for any big, flowery words in your email and replace them with plain old everyday English. Just because you know a few fancy terms (“quid pro quo”, “strategise”, “contingent”) doesn’t mean you should inflict them on people. The bottom line is that this kind of language is hard work to read.
Here’s a handy test: Could a 13 year old read this without opening Google?’
For example:
“It will require us to accelerate implementation of the strategy in order to optimise outcomes”.
Here’s how I’d put it:
“We need to get moving on the plan now for the best results”.
Create eye candy with your layout
If you can make your email easy on the eye, people are more likely to read it. Think of it as creating a picture with lots of white space – you want less ‘Great Wall of Text’ and more ‘Marie Kondo’ – if you know what I’m saying.
Here are some ideas to do just that:
- Keep your email short if you can (your reader will breathe a sigh of relief)
- Use short sentences and paragraphs
- If your email is long, use sub-headings – write these so that your reader gets the gist of your email at a glance
- Use bullet points instead of text when you can
- Consider using a simple image or graph to cut down on words.
Read the email back to yourself – from your reader’s point of view
What you say isn’t always what people hear, especially when it comes to email. A common example is a senior manager sending an email to all staff; they have may have good intentions but end up hearing crickets (and some venting in the staff kitchen).
You need to read the room and think about how your email will be received before you hit send. By stepping into your reader’s shoes and reading the email back to yourself, you’ll have the chance to spot anything that may go down badly.
Did you find these tips useful?
With 10+ years marketing and communications experience and a love of writing content, I have plenty of tips and tricks to help your marketing glow.
AND to celebrate the launch of my business, if you book me for a project before 29 February 2020 I’ll give you 25% off your invoice!*
Contact me today and let’s talk about your project.
*25% off the invoice total for your project before GST is applied. Applies to one project only.
“Gemma was a delight to work with and I would recommend her to anyone looking for top quality work from an engaged and thorough communications professional.”
– Andrew Barnard, Senior Product Manager, Wellington