In these days of email fatigue is it possible to write an email that is read by most people you send it to? Or – at least read enough so that the message will be understood😊? Yes!! How though? How can you write an email that people will read?
When we write emails we normally write them as we would want to receive them.
If you are a detailed person you will write all the details of your message in the email overwhelming those who just want to know what the key message is.
If you are someone who only reads the first paragraph then that is all you may write. And frustrate the detail people massively!
The problem is that if we write an email as we want to see it then it will only be read by those who are similar to us and read in the same way. But you have lots of different people in your company. And you want them all to get the message you are putting out there.
The most effective emails are written to accommodate all types of readers. Here are a few pointers to improve your emails:
- Title: make this about the subject, no room for being mysterious here!
- First few lines: summarise your message in a few short sentences or even bullet points. Some personality types will only read these few lines so you need to get the key parts of your message into their brains!
- Rest of email: if you are one of those who only read the first few lines don’t be tempted to stop there. The detailed people will want more information so now write the detail! Include links and as much information as you need to give to the most detailed person you can think of!
- Consider an image or diagram: some people don’t like reading, they may be dyslexic or maybe English is not their first language. Consider whether your message can be put into a diagram. If you need everyone to do something by a certain date – put that in an image. If this is your key message then even if that is all people read – you have a win!
An example of writing an email that people will read
Imagine you have a critical training course to roll out to your team. You send an email out telling everyone that they have to do the course, why they have to do it and by when. You are someone who likes to explain thoroughly the why, what, how and when of the task you are giving them. You write an email that if printed would be 2 pages long and it contains all the information that people will need to do the course, know when to do it and the outcomes you expect. Perfect!
Except maybe it isn’t. The two or three people in the company who read every email immediately, however long it is, are on it and finish the training. But in the system, you can’t see if anyone else has even started it yet. So you go and ask a few people and get various responses. “I saw how long it was and flagged it to read later when I have time”, ” I saw it was about a course but couldn’t easily see the link so will go back to it another time”, “I didn’t understand what I was meant to do”. Oh no, you thought your email contained everything people wanted and would be easy to understand! What could you have done differently?
I would recommend resending the email with a clear heading, then in the first few lines put the action you want everyone to do, when to do it and how to do it. Let’s see how it looks:
Course x must be completed by x
We want to ensure you are all safe at work so we are launching a new course that everyone needs to do:
- Course name:
- Date it must be completed by:
- Link:
- Time to complete:
Please let us know if you have any problems completing it by that date.
After this, you can put all the text from your first email explaining in more detail the why, what, how and when. Adding these bullet points to your message is unambiguous and will be understood by everyone! And those who want more information can keep reading!
It does take a bit longer, but nowhere near as long as chasing everyone to do the task!
What do you think?
This feels a bit different for most companies. Will people take it well, will it seem too much like an instruction? If you are struggling with writing an email like this add a little bit more context into the first paragraph before the bullet points. However always ensure the bullet points are visible when the email is opened, if someone has to scroll down to see them there will be no impact. Those who glance at it will not scroll down, that is for sure!
Will it work for your company? Will it help you write an email that people will read? Have a try and let me know what you think!
Note: These email tips are based on DISC, a simple-to-use and easy-to-understand personality profiling tool. I have found it can really help you understand your way of communicating and how others communicate too. Have you done DISC or maybe another personality profile tool? If so, think about your email and how the different types of personalities would read it – and try to ensure it has parts for them all. (If you are interested in DISC let me know – I can run a session for you 😎)
Jacqui Hanbury is the Managing Director of The Pathway Communication Company Limited and is a specialist in helping you find the thing that is stopping your business from achieving as much as it could be. Follow her on LinkedIn to find out more.
The Pathway Communication Company Ltd provides a personalised plan to help you and your business move forward. We might help you set goals, a strategy, a communication plan, facilitate a meeting, be a coach or mentor. Whatever it takes. Find out more at: www.pathwaycc.co.uk