It was a big eye opener for me.
I was hanging around with a client of mine who hadn’t returned an important email. So naturally I went back to that email to pick up my train of thought, and there he was.
Yelling at me.
No wonder he didn’t respond. He probably hadn’t even read my email. I didn’t want to read my email either.
It was long, incoherent and pedantic, a wall of words that would never be read.
And it was then and there that I decided to apply rigorous discipline to all my business email. I would write like the executive leader I was: crisp, clear, and concise.
Here are six essential steps in that process:
STEP 1: Lead with a Strong Subject Line
We know this, of course, but we don’t fully understand its implications.
Because of email applications, we process all of our email, not because of the content of correspondence, but by the quality of the subject line. It’s the title of the story, and depending on the strength of the title, it determines whether we keep reading.
So keep your titles clear and to the point. The formula is simple: one word + one statement.
Here are some examples:
APPLICATION: approve final website copy by Wednesday, September 21
ANSWER: Midwest Division’s opinion on fourth quarter sales bonus incentives
UPDATE: Executive Team Meeting Agenda for Friday, October 4
Most commercial emails are a request, a response, or the transmission of important information. You may have other words you prefer; or you can adapt the above words, as in SECOND REQUEST or READ AND RESPOND. I like to capitalize them to get my readers’ attention.
The second part of this formula, a statement, succinctly sums up the email in a few words. It’s just an abbreviated version of Step 3 below.
STEP 2: Start with a short, sincere greeting
The people you’re writing to are, of course, human beings. And good leaders recognize that fact in all interactions with their people. But these people are also very busy human beings. Starting an email, no matter how well-intentioned, with a long, garbled greeting loses the reader’s attention.
A short, heartfelt greeting, however, maintains a personal touch and allows you to get down to business. Get to work.
Here are a few more examples:
Good morning Sara, great job on the vertical marketing implementation.
Hi, Mike. Another stellar sales quarter. Congratulations to you and your team!
Good afternoon, Dee. Thank you for your email inquiry.
Twelve words or fewer, that’s all it takes. Make them count.
STEP 3: Write a one-sentence summary
This is the discipline that transformed my email the most. Forcing myself to summarize what I wanted to say in one sentence made me think, from the start, what this email was really about.
Here are a few more examples:
- Attached you will find a first draft of the e-learning proposal you requested for your sales managers on executive execution. The highlights of this proposal are:
- This is your official reminder of our next Executive Team meeting via WebEx on Friday, October 4 at 11:30 a.m. . m. (Pacific time). Our agenda items are:
Answer the standard questions you were taught in Writing 101. Who? That? Where? And when? And yes, I know the two examples above have two sentences, but the first sentence is the summary and the second sentence is the transition to the list, which is explained in the next step.
I always write my sentence digest first because it drives the content of the entire email. I then shorten it for use in the subject line.
Can’t sum up your thoughts in one sentence? So you don’t need to write an email, you need to have a conversation. Actually. So write an email requesting a conversation. Email is for short, brief, and succinct communications. Never send one when a live interaction is needed.
STEP 4: List supporting statements
After creating a summary sentence for your email email, stop writing prose. Make a list.
Any paragraph that comes after your summary sentence will be a wall of words that will make your reader’s eyes cloud over in their head. However, a bulleted or numbered list does this:
- Creates blank space on the page. That’s a good thing!
- Communicates key points quickly.
- Keeps discussion on topic with summary sentence.
¿ Understood? Make sure the items, like the list above, are crisp and clear. Practice the gist of each point.
STEP 5: Close with a specific action step
You are an executive leader, and your job as an executive leader is to move the business forward. So by extension, your job when writing emails is to do the same. Always close with the next immediate step that makes sense with what you just wrote.
For example:
- Let’s apply this template to our internal team email by Tuesday, October 15. Is this okay?
- Please send me any additional items you would like to see on the agenda before the EOB on Thursday, October 3rd. Thank you.
STEP 6: Use a Simple Signature
Drop your elegant signature line with colorful graphics and a handwritten autograph. Not only is it distracting, but a spam filter will send you straight to spam. Please write your name, title, company and basic information in straight type (add color if necessary). Two to three lines max.
Put it all together
This is what an email would look like following this template:
READ AND RESPOND: First Draft E-Learning Proposal with Follow-Up Meeting
Hi Mike. Another stellar sales quarter. Congratulations to you and your team!
Attached please find a first draft of the e-learning proposal you requested for your sales managers on executive execution. The highlights of this proposal are:
- Availability on demand for greater flexibility for your international team
- Applying the teach fast, practice slow philosophy with short 15-minute podcast sessions and real-world learning exercises
- Inclusion of our most popular module, Achieving Excellence in email as an executive
- Variable pricing options to meet budget considerations in the first quarter
Let’s schedule a 30 minute meeting to nail down the details and a start date. Does it work for you on friday oct 4th at 8:30 am? m. or Thursday, October 10 at 3:30 p.m. m.?
Here’s the bottom line:
Stop sending emails that are a wall of words that will never be read. Write emails like the executive leader you are (or want to be).
Be sharp, clear and concise.
.