No One Reading Your Emails?

7 Sure Fire Ways to Get Your Emails Read
by Michele Lassman | www.everonit.com

Arguably, email could be considered the world’s preferred form of written communication, essentially relegating the hand written note or letter to the dark ages as a lost art. Apart from its numerous benefits, however, the proliferation of email presents a new and unique set of challenges. Because of its ease of use and availability to the masses, anybody with an email address can flood an inbox with needless junk. The result is that, over time, people become desensitized to email, making it more difficult for emails to reach their intended recipients. What this means for the rest of us is that we need to take extra steps to ensure that our emails are appealing and informative, but most of all want to be read. Keep in mind the following tips before your send.

Use concise and descriptive subject lines

Every day our inboxes fill up with hundreds of emails and only a fraction of them are opened, let alone read. In order to get people to read your emails you need to capture their attention in the subject line. Be specific and avoid sensational wording.

Use urgent, important, and priority only when necessary

Remember the “Boy Who Cried Wolf”. Only use the priority flag or urgent in your subject line if your email is important or time sensitive, otherwise it might not be answered when it matters most.

Remember less is more

If you want your message read right away, make it short and sweet and right to the point. Emails that are too long (more than one screen-full) are usually not read immediately and may be forgotten. If you find yourself writing and writing and writing and writing and writing (you get the point), maybe it is time to pick up the phone or have a face-to-face meeting.

Be wise with formatting

Remember that when you use formatting in your email, the recipient might not be able to view the formatting or may see things differently than you originally intended. If you are going to use color, make sure that it is easy to read and not distracting.

Do not send to the wrong person

Email is great, but email to the wrong person is not so great. We all want our emails read…but only by the right people. Email programs make it easy to find contacts and auto populate the “To” field when you begin typing. While this function is supposed to make it easier and quicker to send emails, always remember to double check the name in the “To” field before you click send.

Do not forget the attachment

You have followed all of the above tips and your recipient has taken the time to open and read your email only to find that the attachment is missing. Well, it is going to be slightly more difficult to get their attention a second time and your message may be lost forever. Okay, so it may not be that serious, but an easy way to be more effective in your communication is to always attach the document before writing the email to ensure that you do not forget it in the end.

Occasionally use other forms of communication

While email is a quick and easy form of communication, remember that we have been communicating with each other for quite some time without this technology. Sometimes a hand-written letter, phone call, or in-person meeting can go a long way in building and maintaining relationships.

For more information about this article please contact Michele Lassman.

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