For most people, business owners and marketers in particular, email is their primary means of communication. It is so widely used these days that it often replaces face-to-face interactions. In fact, some of your first interactions with clients will start online. Unfortunately, a lot of people still find themselves struggling to communicate effectively via email.
Check out the suggestions below on how to write effective emails so you can build better relationships with customers and prospective clients.
Start with an appropriate salutation
Just as you would in a letter, it is polite to add a salutation before jumping straight into the text of the email. But be sure to address the person appropriately.
If you are sending an email to a prospective client, then you want to address him as Mr. Johnson. Meanwhile, if you are writing to a friend, starting the email with Dear Mr. Johnson would be too formal. In this case, “Hi Bob” is the best way to go.
Write clear subject lines
A newspaper headline has 2 functions: 1. it sums up the content of the article; 2. it captures people’s attention. Based on this headline, you can decide whether or not you want to read the article. Your email’s subject line should also do the same thing.
If you have a very short message to convey and can include all the information the person need in the subject line, even better.
Get to the point
We’re all busy. And if someone opens your email, this is your chance to get the message across. Don’t ruin it with poor content.
No one wants to read a long, ambiguous email. So get to the point and keep your word count low. Also, use simple English and steer clear from technical lingos.
Call to action
Your email is intended to get the recipient to do something. After all, there is no point in sending the email if you can’t get the person to do something.
