Weekly Tip: Email Illiteracy

You probably answer questions when you are on the phone with prospects or clients that you have clearly already answered in an email. Have you ever had to resend an email 2 or 3 times when you know they received the initial email? Why the repetitive work? It’s simple – THEY NEVER READ THE EMAIL!

We get so many emails that all of us are guilty of just processing email without really reading them. We file them in a folder, forward them to someone else, or leave them in our ever growing in-box. If you want to get emails read quickly and responded to, follow a few guidelines:

1)   Put a time limit in the subject line – “Need your answer by 5:00pm today”

2)   Keep the email to less than 100 words. If you need to provide a long explanation, do it by phone rather than email.

3)   State what you need up front, then explain why.

4)   Use the ‘attachment’ function. Provide attached documents for further context, instead of including the context in the email.

Most people are only “OK” at email management, that’s why yours get lost or misplaced. Use these guidelines and you’ll get faster answers.