One of the top reasons why people don’t get a reply to their email is because it is too lengthy. So how do you manage to keep your emails short and sweet while making sure your message is sent across?
Set a limit
One of the reasons why emails end up being too lengthy is because we don’t impose a mandatory limit on the messages. Be sure to set a specific limit in mind before drafting the email. Ideally, emails should contain between 75 to 100 words because these are the emails that get the best response rates. However, if it’s quite a challenge to track the number of words, you may track or limit the number of sentences, instead.
Reduce filler words and phrases
Another bad habit we need to stop when writing an email is using too much filler words and phrases. We do it unconsciously, so we need to make a conscious effort to be mindful of these fillers. Notice how a specific adverb is used so often in a paragraph; a good example is the word “just”. Alsp, another helpful tip to consider: look at the sentences where there are commas. Commas are usually followed by qualifiers that you can just actually delete.
Use bullet points
It’s tempting to fill our emails with all sorts of details and information but some of it may no longer be relevant. To help you summarize your email and make sure it only contains important details, you may find using bullet points helpful. Of course, this doesn’t mean the entire email should appear like an endless roster of bullet points. You’re only doing this to break down a huge chunk of paragraph to make the email shorter.
Set one goal per email
Another common mistake people commit when writing an email is sending all the agenda in a single email. It is efficient, yes, but it makes the email appear overwhelming for the recipient to read. Instead of doing this, it’s much better to focus on one clear goal for sending the message. Avoid bombarding the recipient with one too many questions or requests. If you have a few requests, make them look clearer by breaking them down into bullet points. This will increase your likelihood of getting a response.
Being able to write clear and concise emails can significantly increase the email response rate in a timely manner. Follow these tips to up your game in making your emails both short and efficient at the same time.