Write Email That Gets Results
Have you ever had an email misunderstood? Of course, you have. We’ve all had people misunderstand – or misinterpret – what we write. Do you know what your chances are of delivering a clear message? Here they are, expressed as a percentage:
- · Words alone (email)…………………………………………………..……..7%
- · Words and tone of voice (on the phone)……………………..…….45%
- · Words, tone of voice, and body language (face-to-face)………100%
Do you really want to risk your career on a 7% chance of clear communication?
I don’t.
I recently received an email that said, “I resent your email to Patty.” What did the message say? Did the other person forward my email to Patty? Or did my email to Patty annoy the other person?
It depends on the mood of the reader. If the reader is in a good mood, they interpret the message to mean that the writer forwarded it to Patty – re-sent it. On the other hand, if the reader is not in a good mood, they take offense – resent it.
The reader’s mood, or frame of mind, determines the meaning of an email.
Today, the world runs on email, so you might as well get good at writing in a clear, concise, organized way. I use a format that is similar to that of a Baptist preacher. The preacher tells you what he’s going to tell you. Then he tells you. Finally, he tells you what he told you and what he wants you to do about it.
Here’s how to structure your message:
Step 1. Have a clear understanding what you want to accomplish with your message. My Salvagemaster’s rule here is that if you don’t know what you want, you can’t have it. You need to be able to say exactly what you want the other person to think or do. And you need to have it so clear in your mind that you can do it in one sentence before you even start to write.
Step 2. Write the conclusion and call to action – what you want the other person to know and what you want them to do about it.
Notice that you have not written your introduction yet. You already know what result you want, what you want the reader to know or what action you want him to take, so save it for last. You’ll see why in a minute.
Step 3. Start to make your case with your first logic point, backed up by supporting facts. Then, nail down your point and logical thought process with an example.
Step 4. Continue with your second logic point supported by facts and an example.
Step 5. Use a third point only if you need it to make your case. If you need more than three points, you either have not thought it through well enough or you are just beating the other person over the head. Neither is good or acceptable. Nor does it send a clear message.
Step 6. Write the introduction where you tell the reader your idea. This is very similar to the conclusion. Write the introduction last so it matches up with any variations that you discovered while you were writing your points and supporting facts.
Finally, proofread your writing. The best way to catch wrong or misspelled words is to read the message aloud and backwards, sentence by sentence. Try it. You’ll see how well this simple idea works.
Your very last action is to enter the recipient’s email address, but don’t do this until you are ready to actually send it.
If you’ll use this simple formula, I promise you’ll have fewer misunderstandings and you’ll receive more positive responses from your email messages because your writing is logical and on-point.
Salvagemaster Bob Walker
