How to Win with Email Clarity

In today’s Attention Economy, your message has to stand out above dozens - even hundreds - of others. How can you succeed?

When I go to my physical mailbox these days, there are relatively few important items in there, generally surrounded by the “noise” of solicitations, catalogs, and junk. It’s easy to separate the gold from the dross.

And the mail only arrives once per day.

Not so with our email inboxes. Day and night, we (& our customers and co-workers) are inundated by an endless flow of “stuff” begging for attention.

If someone sent you an email today with the winning numbers for next week’s billion-dollar lottery drawing, you might simply delete it instead of acting on it - IF IT DOES NOT CAPTURE YOUR ATTENTION.

So, here’s your communication clarity point for today: If you don’t captivate (your audience’s attention), you don’t activate (toward the intended outcome).

We have to get right to the point as we design our emails.

Let's get specific. You and I want to take advantage of the most important visual real estate - the subject line and first sentences - in order to secure attention. Quickly. Simply. Clearly.

Think of it as the 30-second challenge. You only have one brief moment to secure attention. Whatever you’re trying to get across in your email message, be sure that the opening lines are captivating and interesting.

So, what does this mean for the emails you are going to send today (and tomorrow)? I encourage people to use a formula like ARIA:

• Attention - Let people know instantly what this message is about
• Relevance - Demonstrate in the first few moments why they should care (personal importance)
• Information - Write out, in brief sentences and paragraphs, what you've got to say
• Action - Specifically express the expected outcome/result (Call to Action)

In communication, your goal isn’t simply to spew words. Generally speaking, you are seeking an outcome. A result. You want to activate.

But to do so, first, you need to captivate...with clarity.

(this material is based on my book, The Point - How to Win with Clarity-Fueled Communications).

If you’re looking for a speaker/trainer/facilitator who will help your people get to the point with clarity, contact me.

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