What are two of the biggest time suckers when it comes to email communication?
Waiting for the email to open… and sorting through emails to find the one with the info you wanted.
How do we fix those two problems? Very easily – by consciously using the subject line!
1) Answer the question and let the sender know you haven’t typed additional info in the message body.
Say your friend has asked you to a party and you really want to go. You know she’s invited a thousand other people so you know she doesn’t have time to open and read all those responses – come on, she has a party to plan! So – in the subject line just type, “Great, I’m in! eom” What is eom you ask? End of Message – so she knows she doesn’t have to open the email – the answer is right there.Sure, that’s only a couple seconds – but every second counts, right?
Businesses have been using this shortcut for years, if you can extend it into all areas of your email communications (and teach a few others to do it by example) you will find that time adds up. Also, it’s easier to find the answer to the question if you forget their response. Just make sure the message is brief (one to seven words) so the reader gets the full subject line on all their devices.
2) Most email users are guilty of this one simple error: they leave the subject line the same, even when the conversation changes.
Reason being – it’s easy to just keep responding to an email back and forth instead of starting a new one with a fresh subject line. Well, that makes searching for the email for the info you need MUCH harder than it needs to be!
Solution, when you notice that you (or the other person) have significantly changed the topic of conversation – CHANGE the subject line! Keep it less than ten words and make it pertinent to what you’re discussing in THAT email. It will make it easier for both of you to follow the conversation and find the info you need later.
Here’s to clearer, more concise, communications!