The Art of Emails

Do you send emails? I'm guessing you do.

Well, how do you know they're working? Or read in the same way you intended?

Most of what I learned at university and in business has been how to make communication more boring. Emails need to be 'professional'. What they mean is— they need to be unreadable. Having one of the highest response rates in my sales career, I can tell you, writing matters.

And it's not easy. Good writing takes patience. Takes effort. Takes practice. There is a line I've heard in the past 'sorry I sent you a long letter, I didn't have time to send you a short one'.

So here's how you do it. Make it short. Make it sweet. Stop using long, boring sentences.

Here's a piece of advice from the author of Dilbert:

"Write short sentences. Avoid putting multiple thoughts in one sentence. Readers aren't as smart as you'd think. Learn how brains organize ideas. Readers comprehend "the boy hit the ball" quicker than "the ball was hit by the boy." Both sentences mean the same, but it's easier to imagine the object (the boy) before the action (the hitting). All brains work that way. (Notice I didn't say, "That is the way all brains work"?) "

The great news is you don't have to take classes to do this. Apply it now. Right now. The next email you write. It'll make all the difference.

Harry

P.S. If you enjoyed this, share it with a friend. They might enjoy it too.