We receive and send emails everyday, but how can you ensure that your recipients are opening your emails? Here are some important things to remember before you send out your next email:
1. Clear, Concise Subject Line
Try to avoid letting your subject line look like spam mail. With that, avoid all caps and overusing punctuation. It should be able to quickly summarize the email, and if there’s something they might need to click on in the email, then mention it.
2. A Proper Greeting, Why It’s Important
Some people send out emails without any form of greeting. However, without sending out a formal greeting, it is unlikely the recipient is going to read the email. This is important especially since it’s hard to determine who the email is addressed to with CCing and “Reply to All” functions. Another thing to consider is that this will be part of the preview line of the email after the subject line.
3. The Body Text: Only the Essentials
Once it reaches over a paragraph or two, the chances someone is going to read the whole email are low. Keep rambling to a minimum, and be straight forward. Surveys have found the average American office worker has received average of 121 emails a day. So, a three paragraph email is definitely something they don’t have time for. If you’re talking about certain files or websites that the recipient needs to access, attach the files or insert the links for them to find. When it comes to inserting links, try to convert text into a link, rather than just pasting the whole link in the email. It makes things easier to read. For example, “Click here for the Pearce Center website.”
4. Avoid the Reply All Button
Unless it’s absolutely relevant to everyone, try to keep the recipients of your emails specific. You’re more likely to get a response from a smaller group.
5. Close with a Clear Statement of Action
After an email of providing all this information, the most important thing to do before you finish you email is to make clear exactly what kind of response or action you need taken.
6. Signature
Make sure you have something more than just your name in your email signature. An email signature is important to have, with your name and the position you hold within the entity you’re sending this email for, so that the recipient knows exactly who is addressing them. If you’re a student, you can include your name, college and major, and maybe a position in an organization you’re part of.
Written By: Eileen Flood
2/29/2018