Professional Emails: 8 Steps to Write an Email That Gets Read! by Stacey Hanke

Your emails and texts are just a drop in a sea of electronic communication. You need to think through the impact, or lack thereof, of each text or email. Be heard through the clutter. Before you send your next email, consider how many emails and texts your reader has received just today. Here’s how can make your message stand out from the rest:

• Send your message to the appropriate readers. How many times have you been copied with the entire company? Do your homework by identifying who really needs to receive your message.

• Be specific in explaining why you’re sending the message and the value to your receiver.

• Less is more, especially when composing an email message. Avoid the risk of using too many words, words that are out of context or fillers. If your receiver is like most, they are bombarded daily with email messages. Avoid creating the reputation that your style means long, wordy messages that waste time.

• Use bullet points to express your key points.

• Make sure you have enough white space in your message to avoid message overload, forcing your reader to strain their eyes.

• Leave the details for the attachment, but only include an attachment when it is absolutely necessary.

• Be clear, concise and to the point. Respect your reader’s time. Challenge yourself to only use bullet points to communicate key ideas, recommendations and action steps. Ask a trusted peer to review your message and provide feedback on what you need to edit.

• Create a compelling subject line. This should be the last step you take before hitting “send.” Your subject line needs to grab attention and raise curiosity for your reader to take the first call to action: opening your message. Think about how effective billboards grab your attention. This is the same concept.