E-Mail: You’re Doing It Wrong
People not responding to your e-mails? Check this out!
Here's an awkward conversation with the boss:
BOSS: 'Hey did you get my e-mail?'
YOU: 'Yeah.'
BOSS: 'Did you read it?'
YOU: 'Uhhhh.'
What you're really thinking is, 'Did I read the book you sent me? No, I'm loaded down with work Hemingway, get to the point.'
That is a pretty common problem at work, I know I'm a violator of sending e-mails that no one reads, most likely because they're too long. As you can tell from this blog, it takes a while for me to get to the point.
Marketing Land put out some great tips on writing e-mails, that will actually get people to read them. Check this out:
- Make the subject 6 to 10 words long. Never go over 20 words
- Put the person's first name in the subject line.
- (This might sound odd) Use a movie title or song lyric in the subject line. A study shows that people who did that doubled their chances of having their e-mails opened, and replied to.
And my rule, keep it short and get to the point!