October 2, 2006

How to Create E-mail Messages That Get Attention

The average employee receives dozens, even hundreds of e-mails each day. Most messages are ignored, put off as something to “read later,” or deleted. But employees gravitate toward messages that respect their time and meet their needs. Here's how it's done.

When employees read their e-mail, it has to pass a few “attention checkpoints.” At any of these checkpoints, if their needs aren't met, they'll simply move on to the next e-mail.

Checkpoint #1: Sender
“Do I recognize the sender and is he/she important?”

It's no secret that employees are most likely to open an e-mail from someone they know well. The mistake we make as communicators is assuming that employees know the names of all the executives and functional leaders in your organization. The reality is that most employees know the CEO and the person leading their division or function. So think twice before sending that all-employee message from the SVP of Finance.

Checkpoint #2: Subject Line
“Does the subject line summarize what the message is about?”

The second factor employees use when deciding whether or not to read an e-mail is in the subject line. Therefore your subject line needs to grab employees' attention to persuade them to invest time in reading your message. Use your e-mail subject line to summarize, not describe the content of your message:

• Bad subject line: Today's News
• Good subject line: Today's News - Open Enrollment Begins Today

Finally, keep it under 10 words to ensure the full subject displays in their inbox.

Checkpoint #3: Opening Paragraph
“Is it clear from the start of the message how this information pertains to me?”

Make your opening paragraph count. State the purpose of your message, and any action steps, right from the start. Recipients will know at a glance how the e-mail pertains to them and why it's important. Also, keep in mind that with most e-mail applications employees can “preview” their messages in a small window that typically displays only the first paragraph of the message. So the quicker you state your purpose, the more likely you'll capture their attention.

Checkpoint #4: Message Body
“Is the rest of the message easy to read?”

Nothing loses employees' attention faster than an e-mail novella. Help employees get through your message as quickly as possible by keeping it:

• Short - Your message is too long if employees need to use the scroll bar.
  
• Succinct - Stick to one topic and one or two main points.

Also, make the best of available formatting options. If your only option is a text-based e-mail, formatting can go a long way. Use subheads and boldface text to break up blocks of content and make it easier to digest.