Helping small business owners develop extraordinary businesses that really work for their customers, their employees, themselves and their families

Is your email a “welcome guest” or an “unwelcome pest”?

Most of us are drowning in emails these days. How does one decide which emails to open?

The reader has to decide whether an email has a “for me (the reader)” message, a message likely to be something they want to read.

The first way most of us screen emails is to look at the “from” information. At an American Writers and Artists Institute (AWAI) Bootcamp conference, speaker Ann Handley suggested that readers are more likely to open an email with the name of a real person in the “from” section of the email. This is especially true if the individual has requested to receive emails from the sender. A company name is often a turn-off.

Wouldn’t you open emails from your family and best friends first?

Hopefully those who receive your emails will see you as a “best friend” they want to hear from. A reason for sending emails regularly is to build that relationship.

If you must include a company name in the “from” section, combine your name with the company name, like “Diane at Acme Corporation.” That also lets the reader know the message is from a human being.

Be sure that when the reader opens the email, he or she isn’t disappointed. It should read like a person-to-person conversation with a friend. Some emails might seem almost gossipy, such as sharing stories of personal experiences. Avoid using “corporate”, “ten-dollar” words and language.

You want the reader to think, “What’s that crazy person up to now?” That natural curiosity leads the reader to keep opening your emails to find out what happens next.

The worst thing you can be is boring. It’s OK to take strong positions on some issues. You build stronger relationships with the readers you keep, who say, “He (or she) is like me!”, at the risk of losing some that you offend. If you’re like me, you don’t lose a friendship because you disagree with your friend about some issues.

Would you like help writing engaging emails that your readers will want to open? To make an appointment for a FREE initial discussion, please write to mgray@profitadvisors.com

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