The average office worker receives 121 emails a day, according to a recent study. That’s one of the reasons why less than 21 percent of all emails are opened. How can you improve the odds that your emails will be read? Take advantage of the subject line and use no-oriented questions to capture the recipient’s attention and interest. What’s a no-oriented question? Here are a few examples, courtesy of the Black Swan Group.
- "Have you decided to give up on X?"
- "Why did you decide to walk away from Y?"
- "Did you decide to quit on Z?"
Using "quit", "give up", and "walk away" are especially effective because most Americans don’t like to be associated with quitters. No-oriented questions also provide readers with the illusion of control which is a key negotiation tactic.
Leave a lasting impression for email recipients with a positive closing message and a call to action. Typical positive closing messages could be:
- “Are there reasons why this solution will not work for you?”
- “How does this sound?”
- “What’s preventing you from moving forward?”
Additionally, try using an unfamiliar closing salutation such as ‘Here’s to Advancing Our Partnership” or “Humbly”, instead of Sincerely or Best.
Use softening qualifiers to gain additional responses. Instead of stating “that if we don’t solve this problem, our budget will take a major hit,” consider saying “I’m afraid that if we don’t solve the problem, our budget will take a major hit.” Using softening qualifiers such as "I’m sorry” or “I’m afraid,” where they are appropriate, employs tactical empathy to solicit responses.
And when you do get a response, make sure you know what the next course of action needs to be and relate it as soon as possible.
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