Do People Read the Emails I Send?
It depends
We all receive far too many emails.
But every email that *I* send is a priceless treasure of knowledge and vital information.
How can I get recipients to give it the attention it deserves?
Keep it short. People may be reading on a tiny screen or looking at the first few lines in a preview. Give them your “bottom line” up top, possibly even as the “Subject” line of the email. Don’t “bury the lede.”
Make it relevant to them. “Information You Requested” or “Please Return Attached Form” let people know they have skin in the game. “Hi!” or “Great Seeing You Last Week” does not convey this. Motivate the recipient to WANT to open the email—to help you out, to get something accomplished, to get the information they need, to give their input to the team, etc.
Don’t bother people. Most people ignore “cold-call” emails. There are even some ways in which they may cross the line into spam and may violate US, Canadian, or EU laws. Don’t waste everyone’s time by emailing them a bunch of stuff they didn’t sign up to read.
On a related note, thank you for subscribing! I hope today’s email was worth opening.
(Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash)
