Have you ever read through an email you have sent? After receiving an email that I felt was rather cold, abrupt and robotic, I decided to look through my sent messages to see how my messages came across.
Word choice is crucial in writing a good email. After clicking through countless messages, I came up with a few solutions. I learned that my emails needed to be more personal so that my clients feel like they are truly cared for on an individual basis. My solution–inject more of you.
The whole concept revolves around taking the time to incorporate your reader into your emails. Below are some concepts that can serve as a great checklist to writing and excellent, thoughtful email.
- Use You. Instead of saying “How’s it going?” say “How are you doing?” Instead of “Thanks” say “Thank You.”
- Use Names. Often, we will respond without using anyone’s name, especially in quick emails or emails from a mobile phone. Find a way to incorporate the recipient’s name even if you are not saying, “Dear so-and-so.”
- Thank you. Find away to say thank you (not thanks). You could thank the individual for their time or for their ideas. There is always a reason to say thank you even if it is as simple as “Thank you for all you do!” or “Thank you for taking the time to read my email.”
- Compliment. Tell the individual you are writing to that they had a great idea or that they are a valuable asset to your team. If you can’t find a compliment, at least tell them to have an awesome day.
- Use Details. This is probably the most challenging and might not always be applicable. However, if you are responding to an email, try and comment on a detail in their email that most people would overlook. This shows the original sender that you took the time to read what they had to say and it shows you care. You could write something like, “You mentioned that” or “What you said in the 2nd paragraph was so true.”
Hopefully these pointers will help you in making your emails sound more caring towards the recipient.