So the word on the street is that no one reads email anymore. I heard a speaker just Tuesday make that silly claim again.
Here is what he should have said: No one reads irrelevant, inauthentic emails anymore. Or, he could have said that no one reads long, rambling emails. He would have been totally right-on had he said that no one reads emails that say nothing new, are copied to too many people, are all about the writer, are negative, incomplete or boring. Had he said that no one reads emails that show little respect for the recipient he would have been perfectly spot on.
Apply these 4 must know tips to ensure your emails are read:
1. Skip the parts they will. Long emails get deleted or archived (we archive them as C.O.O.A [Cover Our Own Assets] because we don’t have time to read them and are concerned we might actually be missing something important!).
Leave out every bit of information that matters only to you. Use hyperlinks so they can learn more, if they want to. Including everything in an email – because it just might be of interest to them – is a sign of desperation. Honor their time and you may earn the right to tell them more.
2. Don’t be a tease. Take control of the next step. Ending an email or a proposal without including a clear, specific next step is like sniffing great wine and not getting to sip it.
3. Be smart. “Elevating” an email by copying your prospect’s boss may seem like a great idea, particularly if the boss appeared interested and the situation isn’t moving anywhere. Making your prospect – the person you’re dealing with – look bad or negligent isn’t going to help win her over. Help others feel smart doing business with you.
4. Sell what you have, not what you don’t. In email, it’s critically important to say what you can do – what is possible – before saying what isn’t. Successful sales people always look for the opportunity to solution sell, and email is no exception.
Apply these 4 tips and your emails will not only be read, they’ll be acted upon.
What else is important to consider when writing a compelling message? Tell us what you always include, or omit, to ensure your buyers are happy to seen your mail in their inbox.
