Starting a business email? Surely that’s simple enough?
It is. Or it should be. But it is worth considering who will receive that email, and how they might respond to it.
An emotional response
Let’s suppose for a moment that you’re writing to someone who tends to respond emotionally. Someone who makes decisions based on their values and feeling. Bear in mind that they want to be loved, and they want to love you. They also want you to be considerate, which doesn’t take much effort. I’m just talking about simple things – about considering the effect your choice of words may have on other people.
So you can start by using their name – and by making an emotional connection first. As in:
Hi, James – How are you doing?
For some people that approach doesn’t come naturally, especially if you’re in ‘business mode’. You’re much more likely to write something like this:
Hi James – Seven things we need to work on this week…
So what am I suggesting?
Nothing complicated. Just re-read that email before you send it. And maybe add in that first line:
‘How are you doing?’
It’s a tiny thing, but it will matter a great deal to that particular person.
A logical response
Now let’s consider a very different personality type. This person tends to be logical and unemotional in business matters. They aim to be efficient and keep a cool head.
So they’ll probably ignore that first line – if you choose to put it in.
In fact they’d probably prefer it not to be there.
People like this will probably read the subject line of your email without actually opening it. So you need to make sure that the subject line is strong. That it grabs their attention- even if they’re reading it on a smartphone (as so many do these days).
And the conclusion?
If you’re writing a letter to someone you know very well, you’ll probably think more about how they might respond to it.
But because a business email is a quick and easy form of communication, it’s tempting to give less thought to the words you are using.
Take that extra moment to consider who you are writing to. To make allowances for their emotional (or logical) response. In other words, to be considerate.
David Solomon
Managing Director, Sun and Moon Training
@SunMoonDavid
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