Email, something our businesses depend on. Day in and day out, we are exchanging emails back and forth, but did you ever think about how your email is being read on the other end? Communicating via email can be difficult at times. Just think about issues you have communicating via text or sms messages. Sarcasm is something that is hard to convey over text messaging or email, and SO IS YELLING (unless you type in all caps).
So, how can you be a more effective communicator with email? Use these 5 steps to help get the most of your email communications.
1. Understand Your Target Audience
If you know your receiving end is very professional, you're not going to want to use emoticons () or say LOL, TTYL, OMG, or something like that.
2. Create a Sense of Urgency
If you need an immediate response, say so! Put "Response Needed" in the subject line, mark the email as urgent, etc. Don't assume that the other person will know the urgency of the email.
3. Be Personal
Think of your email as a one-on-one way to communicate. Be yourself, within reason. If you know your recipient closely, you have a bit more leeway than if you are introducing yourself to someone for the very first time. If you're a sales person, you are going to want to create an immediate connection with the client with your personality.
4. Don't Over-Market Yourself
Don't use words in the subject line like "discount", "sale", "free", have too many exclamation marks, or have everything in all caps. Many SPAM filters will catch this and not deliver your message. If it does get through, it may get ignored because it looks like SPAM.
