Writing letters seems to us something so familiar and natural that we rarely think about the wording and presentation. Meanwhile, many people have no idea how to write correct emails. Maxim Chernov, an expert in networking and career building, author of the pronetworking.ru blog, clearly explained how to write letters so that they would always be answered.
Letter is a commodity
Even knowing that writing effective letters is the cornerstone of modern communication, no one is in a hurry to teach young professionals this important business. Knowing how to write a good email - the one you get 100% answered - is halfway to your goal. A lot can depend on just one letter: will you get a good job, will you find an investor to finance your project, will you get advice or help that can change your whole life.
Whatever the letter is, it's a commodity, even if you're not literally selling anything. The addressee of a message can receive more than a dozen, or even a hundred such letters every day. In this case, giving the same time and attention to each email is not rational.
As with direct selling, the recipient has different ways of sorting the incoming information. The general stream of letters is divided into two: those that deserve a response, and those that will be sent to the trash after a cursory reading without the slightest hesitation. Where your email goes will depend on how much it hooks the recipient. The letter gives you the opportunity to get a first impression of the sender, and where it will go - in the "reply" or "delete" section - depends on subtle signals.
On what factors can the sender and the addressee of the message NOT agree:
Recipient position:
- dozens of letters arrive daily;
- if the person is well-known, messages are often complimentary or rude flattery;
- regularly encounters a standard set of questions about a product / service;
- constantly not enough free time;
- in principle, do not mind helping if it does not require a lot of time or effort.
Sender position:
- spends a lot of time and effort writing the “perfect” message;
- I am confident in the originality and uniqueness of my own request;
- I am sure that his case is special, no one has previously asked for such a service;
- sees no hypothetical reasons for refusal;
- seeks to tell his own story in as much detail as possible, to reveal all the nuances so that the opponent accurately understands the point of view.
Below is a list of the nuances that people pay attention to when deciding whether to respond to an email. The requirements may seem overly stringent, but this is not a matter of personal sympathy or antipathy, but what periodical editors, recruiters and owners of reputable companies actually pay attention to. This is what people talk about behind your back, and there is no point in hiding anything in an attempt to appear nicer and more interesting.
Note: This guide is only valid for emails when you need something from the recipient, even if it's just a reply. If the email is being composed for the exchange of information, expressions of appreciation, or as part of friendly correspondence, these rules are not so important.
Letter Writing Guide: Checklist
1. Respect the personal time of the addressee, make sure that email is basically necessary
When you write a letter, you also report the following: "What I want to convey is worth at least a few minutes of your time, which you could spend for the benefit of yourself, your work, or devote to family and friends."
Do not force the recipient to spend even seconds solving issues that you can figure out on their own. Respect others and believe in yourself! It is amazing how many questions can be solved by turning to any of the search engines for help (sometimes you just want to answer: "Let me google for you …").
2. You need to start with a greeting
Getting down to business without a preliminary introduction looks too rough.
Better to use "Good afternoon / evening _____", "Hello _____". But if possible, refrain from familiarities like "Hello ____", especially if you have not established close contact and the history of correspondence does not take dozens of pages.
It seems to me that the more noticeable tendency to omit the greeting is made by the built-in response forms used on most resources. Remember that you enter text into the form on the site, and the addressee receives the most ordinary letter.
3. Address the message to the person (or those) to whom you are writing
Do your best to find out the name of the person who will be reading the letter. Calling by name looks much more personal than the standard “Hello”. Also, email becomes much more personal, and no longer looks like mass mailing or spam. If a question you are interested in is asked at once to two people, greet them: "Hello, Julia and Sergey!"
4. Make sure the correct spelling of the name and surname of the addressee
Strange, isn't it? A mistake in spelling a name immediately cuts off all possible contacts with a person even before reading the message itself. The recipient may think that you not only know little about him personally, but in principle are not inclined to pay attention to small details. If after a wrongly spelled name is followed by something like "I am your sincere admirer", then you will definitely seem insincere.
5. Communication at the level of emotions between the sender and the recipient - above all
The recipient will be pre-configured for dialogue and will want to help if you create an emotional connection with him. The main rule is complete truthfulness and brevity.
Several samples per topic:
- “I have been reading your resource for 2 years already; thanks to the pronetworking.ru blog, I discovered many interesting techniques, met well-known investors and got a promotion in my current job. "
- “For three years I have been buying the Gucci Flora water that you launched. I became my favorite scent after my birthday, when I received this wonderful gift from my husband in a luxurious package”.
- "Like your fellow countryman from Vladivostok …"
- “I am amazed at the methodology and results of your research on the mating games of elk. After reading your book, I decided to study biogeography. Therefore, I will be glad to advice … "
- Sometimes senders send the following: “Your resource is very interesting and useful. Especially a post on the topic (any article from the main page). " This connection seems a little implausible and could have the opposite effect. It is better to compose the text of the letter so that the recipient does not doubt your sincere interest.
6. Keep it short and get down to business
The time, work or personal, that the addressee will spend reading your email is priceless. Letters on ten pages in small handwriting and a detailed retelling of autobiographical data are absolutely inappropriate. A quick jump to questions of interest, a small number of sentences and general brevity will help to interest the addressee of the message.
7. Clarity without sacrificing brevity
An excellent example of NOT a very well-written message:
“Hello, Maxim!
I am delighted with your resource. We are doing something similar. Maybe we can join forces and start a joint project? There are some good ideas that I would like to discuss.
Sincerely yours, Anton"
It is clear that the recipient is at a loss - you came out of nowhere with your not very clear proposal. It is exactly your task - to think over all the details, formulate a question and come up with a certain idea - clear, clear and intelligible. Your responsibility is to provide the addressee with an informational "product" that he will buy or not. Also try to make it easier for the recipient and not make him spend a lot of personal time and energy on a reply letter.
The less text and the more concise the question, the greater the possibility of getting a definite answer.
8. Don't try to tease
An example of a mishandling:
“Hello, Maxim!
Your site is great, but I have some great ideas for improving it. Are you interested? Write me.
Evgeniy"
Such messages are subject to urgent removal - there is no need to waste time answering if the idea itself may not interest you.
9. If there is a link - do not hide it
There is no need to mention your resource unfoundedly. Although it will take a few seconds for the recipient to find the mentioned site / portal / resource, it is unlikely that someone will do it for every email they receive. Try to make it easier for the recipient and remove the next obstacle to the case in advance.
10. DO NOT USE CAPS LOCK
Using Kapslok is not only bad manners in Internet communication, but also a signal of insanity. Such letters are not even readable, and I would like to advise their senders to contact good specialists.
11. Only small letters are also bad
It is impossible to take seriously the message of a person who does not bother to use the shift key.
12. Completed the text of the message - check it for errors
The first impression of yourself cannot be corrected, and gross spelling, grammatical and other errors cannot but worsen it. It is especially worth keeping an eye on the words underlying your idea or question. Otherwise, you will get the impression that you do not understand the topic and do not want to delve into it.
These versatile tips will help you compose any letter - to your boss, partner, client, or interesting writer. Your chances of getting a useful answer and continuing fruitful cooperation increase by an order of magnitude.
Photo: Getty Images
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