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How to write short emails [EOM] (pass it on)
13 June 2011
Forget the preamble. Nobody reads it. Make them scroll? No chance.
Worse still: they’ll miss the good bits.
Humans began as hunter-gatherers. We filter out what’s commonplace. We instinctively hone in first on things we need. Then we find things we like. Anything else is a distraction. Distraction meant death.(Now read the last email you sent. Any distractions?)
We’re also farmers. So we latch on to helpful people, tools, and information. And we root out weeds that waste resources like time.
(Now reread your last email. Any better?)
Anything that even looks distracting or time wasting sparks evolutionary fear. So we delete wordy emails ruthlessly. It’s even worth sacrificing a few good bits. Who doesn’t?
So, how low can you go?
Heartfelt pleasantries show we care. Trite ones do nothing at best, ‘Dear Reader’.Manners, ‘please’. And ‘thank you’, too.
But even those dilute the email’s essence.
Email inboxes are sieves.
How much email do you delete unread? Nobody bothers to open or preview every item.That’s true even if your inbox is your filing system!
Making the subject your point.
The most important things are the quickest to say. Evolution makes that knowledge instinctive. Sarah Connor can’t resist The Terminator’s offer:
“Come with me if you want to live.”That’s fewer than 100 characters, which is about the subject line length on desktops or laptops.
What about emails on smartphones?
Smartphones make great email filters. They’re always on. So emails show up there first. And at least half of you have a BlackBerry or iPhone, right?But BlackBerry and iPhone inboxes default to subjects with fewer than 40 characters.
(Now rereread your last email on your smartphone.)
EOM means End Of Message. (Google ‘EOM’)
Adding ‘[EOM]’ to the end of your subject line means ‘that’s the entire message’. The recipient doesn’t have to open the email.But ‘[EOM]’ is 6 characters (including the space)! That’s expensive when you’ve only got 40 to play with.
But it does dispel recipients’ fears of distraction and time-wasting. It also rewards them with bonus time. EOM saves people time and tells them you’ve got straight to the point.
If your recipient forwards your email to someone else, they automatically add ‘FW:’. That costs another 4 characters (including the space).
So, you’re left with a mere 30 characters to make your point!
Reservations?
Cutting emails back to 30 characters - all in the subject line – is extreme. If that feels too abrupt for you, first have a go at halving your word-count. If being short feels rude to you, you could reduce pleasantries to just one, heartfelt greeting.But, is your next email important enough to send as a 30-character subject line?
Feeling generous?
Save friends and colleagues from time-wasting and distraction.
Click to try it in just 5 seconds!
6 comments to ‘How to write short emails [EOM] (pass it on)’
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V tru, Dave.
EOM
Interesting point about emails on smartphones.
More and more people read (and delete) their emails on the go now. On the iPhone, you can choose to view the first lines of an email in your inbox as well. So less is more.
Great tips about the 30-character subject-line and making the subject your point. It really helps saving time, especially if the email is sent to a group of people. For example instead of saying ‘meeting’ in the subject, why not add a date with suggested times?
By making other people’s lives easier, we simplify ours too. Well worth it : )
If short emails do not address the issue, and worse open new questions, they result in greater inefficiency and more wasted time. While clearly a concise thoughtful response is ideal, short incoherent statements serve little purpose.
I deleted your email because I thought it was from my gas supplier (EON)
A highly significant article. Now my daily inbox exceeds 100 (typical?) I simply HAVE to impose a ‘quick qualify’ system if I’m to get anything else done! Did you see the article somewhere about the chap who threw away his iPhone due to the stress the constant emails were causing? I predict more of this as people fight to reclaim their lives! DC’s method will win through.
Make no mistake your subject line is the most important element in your . However you absolutely must cut your subject line down to 55 characters. Cut your subject lines back and every customer will see your open pitch in total…Ask a Question..Asking a question is a subject line technique that works well because it gives the customer something to think about.