How to Write Effective Emails
By Team Six Words
Whether you like it or not, emails are still a regular communication channel. But how often to do you write emails that receive no response?
We’ve all been there: hitting “send” on an important email update, only to hear nothing but crickets for days.
Fortunately, there are a few simple steps you can take to engage your recipients and incite action. Here are some tips to help ensure your emails get the replies you need:
Make good use of the subject line
- Get to your point quickly, using language your audience will understand, and include your call to action.
- Need someone to review or approve the content of your email before you can move forward? Don’t be shy – say it in your subject line. At Six Words, we often use subject lines like “Please Review: XYZ” or “To Approve Today: XYZ”.
- Clean out old subject lines if they no longer serve you. If your thread has been forwarded ten times over, it may be time to either start a new thread or at least update the subject line so people pay attention.
Keep things clear and brief
- Use short sentences to increase clarity. No one has time to read paragraphs of text. Even if they do, chances are they will skim anyway. Keep things concise.
- Use clear paragraph breaks to keep ideas seperate. At Six Words, we are big fans of writing concise one line sentences, followed by a blank line, then the next sentence. This format allows for easy reading.
- Bullets are your friend. Use bullet points to outline ideas, tasks or details.
Check your tone – short and sweet
- People will appreciate a kind, measured approach. As much as you want to keep emails short, also try to keep them sweet by using greetings, light humour and not taking things too seriously.
Always include deadlines and asks
- If you need someone to take a specific action by a specific time, make it known. Don’t shy away from using bold to make your asks and deadlines stand out.
Review and proofread
- If you have time to write an email, you have time to re-read your email once drafted. Look for typos, common spelling/grammatical errors, or forgetting attachments.
By creating clear, concise emails your recipient will know exactly what is being asked of them, and can respond accordingly.
Ready to get going on a project? Let us help.