Email is still the most frequently used method of communication among employees. And if you’ve got an important message that needs to get read, the last thing you can afford is to have that email getting lost in all of the clutter that dominates the majority of workers’ inboxes.
To bolster the chances that your email gets seen – and acted upon – here are three best practices to keep in mind.
Remember to do all of these things before sending any important emails.
1. Write ‘do’ subject lines
Most emails consist of “what” subject lines that simply give a brief summary of what the email’s body will include – i.e., “Budget proposals.”
Instead of simply telling workers what the email includes, write a subject that emphasizes what they need to do.
Example: “Need your budget proposals by X-date.”
2. Choose key text carefully
How many emails have you seen where bold, highlighted and bulleted text is strewn about with no rhyme or reason? Not only is that distracting, it could hurt how your message is received if the recipient doesn’t know what’s important.
Highlighted text should be carefully chosen before hitting send on the message.
3. Timing is critical
There are certain times when people are more likely to be inundated with email (between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), and that means your message is more likely to get lost in the shuffle during these times.