Write Short Emails for Better Responses

Most business professionals glance through their inbox quickly and open emails that they consider to be of importance first. In reality, many business emails never are opened for  a number of reasons including time constraints. If you find that you do not get a large email response to your requests, you may need to shorten your emails and make them as concise as possible.

Companies use Twitter successfully everyday to let customers know of specials that are occurring and any news that might be of interest. The Twitter application only allows for 140 characters per Tweet. Companies and individuals have adapted to place as much information into those media messages as possible. A few well-chosen sentences can say just as much as a paragraph email, it takes much less time to process, and you will see more quick replies.

The Five Sentences philosophy is a process that many companies have adopted in order to help get a handle on the massive amounts of business emails that require management and business responses on a daily basis. The goal of the philosophy is that you should never write an email that is longer than five sentences. If an email does need to be longer in response to an issue or a complaint, it should be, but you should try to keep the vast majority of your business emails to five sentences or fewer for increased proficiency.

When compiling your business emails, use the recipient's first name in the subject line. This will help you grab the person's attention immediately. Make the first few sentences as direct as possible to give the recipient a general idea of the subject matter right away. Engage your reader by asking questions, and ask for an email response. Include a note that states you will follow up on the email if you have not received a response by a set date. Be sure to proofread your business emails. You don't want to send something riddled with mistakes, and proofreading will prevent you from hitting send too soon.

Language is a powerful tool, and clean, concise writing is always preferable to a long drawn-out message that repeats itself. When you compose an email, you do so with the intention of having it read by the recipient. Keep it short and easy to absorb. Explain who you are, what you want, and when you need it by. You will limit the time you waste compiling business emails, and you will increase your chances of getting a response.

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