This morning I received a Twitter notification about a great article entitled, "Writing Emails That Lead To 'Yes!'" sent to me by Marketing expert April Dunford.
In Toastmasters we speak about the importance of communicating clearly in becoming a thought leader, but it's usually in the context of public speaking. Remember that the message communicated is the one that's interpreted, which may not match the message sent. We're all too aware of how the spoken word can be influenced by tone, body language, and even reputation.
The written word is just as influenceable by other factors. So make sure your email communications are as clear as your spoken word!
The article linked above (https://t.co/pLqHoAjNyN) is a great starting point, but here are some other things to consider when communicating clearly in email. Here are my own rules:
- The header: The From address, the Subject line, and the timestamp are frequently the only things visible when an email is received. Just like you probably sort through your postal mail at home without ever opening the envelope, people do the same thing with your email. You can't control the timestamp, and you can't change who you are. However the subject line is key! Make it succinct and interesting. Keep in mind that how they read the subject is influenced by what they think of the sender.
- This is rule 2, but it's also the "rule of 2": going back to junk postal mail, if it's interesting enough to open, do you usually read the whole thing before deciding whether to toss it out? Probably not. In email, the first two and the last two lines of the email are the most important, with the first half-line of each paragraph having secondary importance. If you have a question, don't hide it halfway through the third paragraph, make it easy to spot!
- Short, and sweet: Email is best for three things --
- To give a bit of information about a simple subject
- To ask a simple question, and/or
- To provide a paper trail on a more complex issue that has already been discussed
For anything else, PICK UP THE PHONE! If you need to explain something complicated, you can count on the recipient having questions. Call a meeting if you have to, but email won't be effective for a complex issue. Paper memos might be gone, but there's a reason you still have a phone on your office desk. If you need to write it out to get your thoughts together before calling, then write down some notes in a Word document.
Leadership requires followers, and thought leadership is no different. No one will follow you if they find it hard to communicate with you, so make your communications count!