The ability to compose an interesting email is important not only for personal purpose but for professionals as well. Emails are the most effective, fastest and informal way of contacting and communicating with others. Whether your email gets read or ignored depends on how you use it to communicate your thoughts across to the other person. Writing an effective email is crucial if you want your message to grab the attention of your target promptly. As the sender, it becomes your responsibility to ensure that you present your case effectively, which will instantly attract the attention of the recipient. Here are some top tips for getting your email across with positive response.

1. Clear subject line and determining the desired outcome

Be clear in your presentation about what you want or are trying to put across. When your thoughts are disorganized then you will not be able to focus on the desired end results and may confuse your receiver. Use a clear subject line because if it is blank or is vague then it might get thrashed by the recipient. Remember, people receive many emails and some are instantly thrashed due to their vagueness in the subject. Therefore, take a moment and clearly state your subject line for accurately describing the contents of your mail.

2. Be to the point and keep the message focused

Cut all unnecessary introductions, compliments and other social niceties but get straight to the point so that the interest of your recipient sustains. Be nice but be brief about it and do not waste the time of the recipient with an endless message. Do not clutter your email with multiple messages which are loosely related, as this is a sure way of getting your email into the thrash box. You can split up your points into separate messages if your points are substantial enough.

3. Avoid attachments unless very essential

You will get faster results if you copy paste the most important parts of any document into the body of your message, so that your recipient need not take the trouble of having to open another program to download a file attachment. However, you can also send the attachment if it is a very important file along with the copy paste message. If the message is interesting enough, the recipient will take the extra trouble to open the attachment for further details.

4. Proofread

It is always good to proofread your message before sending it out, particularly if it is meant for a higher authority or for many people altogether. A well written message will not only be more professional but will also be appreciated on the other end. Use simple English in a conversational tone and be realistic and authentic in your approach.

5. Font matters as well as formatting

Avoid using bold fonts, small fonts or too large fonts which may put off your recipient. By the judicious use of numbered lists, bullet points and short sentences, your email can easily be scanned and read by the recipient.

These are just some of the few tips on writing an effective email which can help you in your daily dealings with people on email. Remember, writing an effective email can make your workload that much easier, as you can get things done faster when there is better response from your receivers.