With the ever- increasing deluge of email we receive, the greater the possibility that emails will be skimmed or misread also increases.
To enhance the impact of your emails, here are four helpful hints:
1. Keep messages short. The fewer words in the email, the more likely they’ll all be read. Period.
2. Make your requests for action specific and clear . If you are requesting action, don’t bury it in the middle of a message. General requests have a habit of being minimized. So if you want someone to provide you a report “please provide the xxx report to me no later than 2:00 Friday of this week” works better than, “please send me your report.”
3. Place your request, conclusion, or direction in the first line of the email. People read the first sentence. Use it! This is where your specific action, request, or summation should be. The further down the email, the less likely it will be read.
4. When assigning a task, place only one address in the “To” line. This establishes responsibility. If you put several e-mail addresses in the “To” line, there is a chance that each of the addressees will think the responsibility is not theirs. And if you’re targeting the wrong person, you’ll be the first to know!
