Mark These Words: Writing E-Mails That Don’t Get Lost in the Mix
Have you ever flown in from a long business trip, travel-worn and ready for a hot shower, only to find that, lo and behold, your sleek black luggage looks just like everyone else’s? Instead of being able to grab it and go, like that group of high school soccer players over there that cleverly marked their bags with bright pink ribbons, you’re stuck chasing black bags round and round the conveyor belt. You try not to kill the older couple to your right, or total the baby stroller that’s smack-dab in the middle of your path, while you frantically read luggage tags on the move. Next time, you tell yourself as you have so many times before, I’m doing something to make that bag stick out.
As victims of over-crowded e-mail in-boxes, the new postal boxes of the 21st century, we have to have that same mindset—what can we do to make our e-mails stick out? How can we write our way out of the garbage bin and make sure the recipient actually reads our message?
For starters, prefer a specific subject line that informs to one that merely suggests a topic. And if you need action from your readers, state that in your subject line, too:
Not: Staff Meeting
But: Staff Meeting Rescheduled to June 6
Not: Insurance Problems
But: $2,000 Insurance Premium Uncollectible
Not: Training Schedule
But: Confirmation Requested: EWW Class May 4
Not: Field Trip to Leichton
But: Approval Requested for Leichton Field Trip
Like a hot-pink ribbon on a black suitcase, informative subject lines allow people to determine priorities from their in-box list without losing the important messages in the mix. What “color” ribbon are your subject lines wearing today?
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