Think about how quickly you decide whether or not you want to read an email. Most people decide if they are going to open an email based on their relationship with the sender. If your email recipient doesn't know who you are or has a poor opinion of you, then getting them to open an email is a challenge. Here are six easy steps to get more of your emails read whether you know your email target or not.
1) Unless the sender knows who you are, the most critical piece in any email communication is the subject line and even there you need to get to the point quickly.
2) Personalize it. People want to know that it's them you care about not "to whom it may concern." And while you're at it, make sure you have the recipient’s name right.
3) Get to the point quickly. You may not be able to tell the whole story in the first paragraph, but you better let them know what's in it for them if you want that to continue to read.
4) It's not about you. What you need only matters if they care. Point out what the benefit is to them.
5) Be brief. Email isn't the medium for novels or long essays. If what you have to say is going to take a while, give them a link and make sure there are pictures.
6) Include a call to action. At the end of the email the reader should know exactly what you want them to do or at least be moved to look for further information.
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