Do you want to be a more self-assured and successful entrepreneur? Stop sending out mediocre emails. The phrase “first impressions are important” is more true than ever in the world of emails. If you see walls of chunky text or misspelled terms, you’re likely to bounce or lose concentration, regardless of whether the email was sent by a c-level executive, a family member, or a marketeer selling stories.
Bad email etiquette may destroy relationships with clients, colleagues, and partners. After failing to communicate due to my own defective emails and then guiding other authors and clients through this frequent issue, I’ve allowed the following principles to drive clear and mindful emails.
The following are 16 suggestions about how to stop sending boring emails to become a successful entrepreneur.
1. First and foremost, do not use a wacky email address.
Use actual names instead of silly ones, which seem professional.
For personal emails, the following formulae are always valid: first name and initial of last name or complete names, such as ronl@ or ronlieback@.
Use more generic names for other emails used by a team, such as access to a client’s website or performance data, such as team@, sales@, and so on.
2. Useful topic lines
Don’t be evasive. A subject line’s two main aspects are what the email is about and what action is required. This simplifies things and eliminates any misunderstanding.
This formula also aids in the discovery of emails when searching.
You may also impact subject line openings by using brackets and parentheses at the beginning of the subject line. Use them to set the tone and uppercase that section of the email, while leaving the rest of the sentence capitalization alone. As an example of a team member, consider the following:
[Edits Required] Final revisions are required for XXX’s ghostwriting article.
Here’s an example for a client:
[Action Required] Approval is required for ghostwriting an article about email etiquette.
3. When responding, change the topic line.
When responding to an email, be sure to edit the subject line for clarity.
Here’s a quick method to accomplish it:
[James’s Reaction] Re: Have you received the updated SEO report?
4. One topic per thread
This is an unbreakable law of clarity. When responding to an email, solely discuss the primary topic of the discussion.
This makes things less complicated and makes it much simpler to identify answers when scanning email threads (which is why a clear subject line indicating the relevant subject and action is always required).
5. Hello… Greetings: addressing recipients
First and foremost, always address the person by name. Don’t simply start talking. That demonstrates that you have no time for them and don’t care (although emails should be short and to the point).
Use of slang or street vocabulary, such as “Hey,” is prohibited.
Consider how you would address a revered war veteran or a 100-year-old lady. Be truthful but straightforward.
The top three are as follows:
- Hello there (name)
- Good morning (name)
- Good evening (name)
When saying farewell, use the same procedure.
The top three picks are:
- Best
- Thank you for your time
- onwards
6. Personalize your signature to help you and your company stand out.
Always have a personalized signature that includes, at a minimum, the following:
- Name in full
- Title
- Phone number
- The company’s logo is connected to its website.
- Links to social media
In addition, if you routinely write in third-party publications, published a book, or were featured on a prominent media channel, provide the following information in your signature: Read my most recent book “title”; read my most recent Entrepreneur piece; and so on.
7. Format with brief paragraphs and watch amusing videos
Have you ever received an email that was simply one lengthy paragraph? This block of the text seems difficult, and you will lose attention.
Make your paragraphs shorter. Only one or two phrases.
Also, keep your phrases brief and to the point. This permits your message to be conveyed to the readers swiftly and clearly.
Also, avoid using exclamation points or emoticons.
8. Never compose an emotive piece.
Don’t compose emails when your emotions are running high, especially if they are nasty or tense. Take a second to breathe if anything is critical, such as an urgent email from a client about a missing deadline. Take a quick stroll. Take out a book. Do anything but worry about answering for a while.
Then, when you’re refreshed, react, or if you’re dealing with someone who demands highly urgent responses, say that you’ll get back to them as soon as possible. Then give yourself a mental rest.
This is also a draftsman’s brilliance. Make them for the most important emails, and then sleep on them. The next day, you’ll most likely alter your mind about what you want to say, and your message will be better and more engaging.
9. Respond as soon as possible
Response times vary depending on the level of urgency.
If you know you’ll need extra time to respond, write a quick response inside that 24-hour timeframe explaining why along with an exact date they should anticipate the return response:
Pam here.
I hope everything is well. Let me investigate this further and get back to you by Friday.
10. Don’t send or respond to emails on weekends or during off-hours.
Unless it’s a requirement of your employment. Here are a few examples:
This demonstrates to prospective clients that you are desperate.
This demonstrates to clients or your team that you are apprehensive, which demonstrates poor time management.
This demonstrates workaholism, which goes nicely with a lack of attention.
You’ll also educate people to believe that you’re constantly “on,” and they’ll start anticipating replies from you even when you’re not. And, if it’s genuinely an emergency, such as a client website being down or something horrible happening to a client/team member, SMS or phone.
11. Understand your time zones.
Understand the time zones of the people you’re emailing. Again, this demonstrates that you spent the additional time to learn something, which demonstrates that you care.
Consider receiving an email from a client in Israel as they begin their day and you are about to go to bed that says, “Good morning.” This, once again, demonstrates their lack of concentration.
12. Provide your recipient’s email address.
How many times have you accidentally pressed the send button? Some systems, such as Google Gmail, include a buffer zone for transmitting, but not all of them. When withdrawing an unfinished or unedited email, this might stop you from looking pretentious.
13. Keep an eye on your responses.
Email is widely available. Always double-check your recipient information before clicking the send button. You may speak differently to one person than the other, and messages might become muddled (or you in trouble if negativity is there).
Also, keep in mind that others may react all with a response for only you. Remember this before sending the same email to several persons.
14. Don’t use the word “sorry.”
“Sorry for the delay” is the worst. This delivers the message that you’re disorganized. Instead, say “please pardon the delay.” There’s no need to get into specifics.
Another sensible approach is to avoid using the word “sorry.” The term demonstrates weakness. You don’t want to come out as weak. Ever.
15. Interact with the reader
Reduce your usage of “I” and speak straight to the receiver. This is particularly true for clients.
Always address the receiver directly and leave out as many “I”s as possible.
16. Negatives should be converted into positives
Words have meaning both on the conscious and subconscious levels. Avoid phrases like “I can’t,” “My firm wishes it could,” and “If only I could.””
These are several levels of negative comments that might detract from your overall positive messaging. These sorts of interactions, without delving into neurobiology, establish bad programming for both you and your client. And the more these actions are repeated, the more they will become a habit.
Make use of positives. Substitute the cans for the can’t to create a more positive dialogue. Instead of stating, “My company hopes it could create more timely results,” say, “My company wants it could produce more timely results.” “As we focus on your needs, my company delivers more timely work…”
Emails are make-or-break means of contact, especially now that remote work has transformed the communication aspect for many businesses.
These quick ideas can assist you in standing out from the crowd by simplifying and clarifying your messaging. They’ll make you a better email writer, which will help you become a better entrepreneur.