You already know that first impressions count. But time and time again it is frustrating to see opportunities being lost because people underestimate the power of choosing the right words.
Email as a tool for communication is no different in this respect and definitely should not be underestimated as a way to influence and create success in your business. You’ll use it every day almost without thought, but it’s therefore easy to forget how much impact it can make when you know exactly what to say.
On this occasion let’s not explore subject lines or clever tactics, but the simple changes to content and language that can make a big different in the way your email lands with your recipient.
Choosing the wrong hero for the story
They ALWAYS need to be the hero of the story and not you. Overuse of “We” “Me” “Our” “My” and “I” result in almost instant disengagement. Instead – write through the lens of “You” and “Your”.
Showing up and throwing up
Less could well be more. Your email has the ability to communicate one message well. If you try to deliver more than one, you are highly likely to confuse the reader, resulting in zero action and zero response.
Failing to respect the reader
Your clients and prospects are likely to have short attention spans (like you and I). Cramming all your info into one paragraph, with run on sentences, and failing to provide line breaks could make your emails difficult to read.
Take the time to format your message,
- highlight key points,
- use lists and bullets if needed
- change fonts as required.
Finishing with a . And not a ?
I see dozens of emails in which people are confused as to why they are not getting replies, yet the email had nothing to reply to. It ended with a “please feel free to reach out if I can help in any way.” Or “I am here if you need me” – all resulting in no action required from the reader. Instead, finishing with a question that requires response will phenomenally increase reply rate – make sense?
Consider whether you have been making any of these 4 big mistakes and if some simple changes could radically change the way your emails are received (and responded to).
