Leader emails that get read??

Welcome back to the?11th?edition of the C-Level Stories newsletter, bringing you practical tips and reflections on leader presence and communications every 2 weeks. If you're new here, click SUBSCRIBE to get notified of each edition.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my recent poll about what you'd like to read next. Today, we're taking on the topic of leader emails designed for maximum open rates, readability and persuasion (1st place with 39%). Next time, we'll focus on what leader presence means during this period of reopening (2nd place with 32%).

Hi again, leaders and readers!

Many years ago, I was helping a busy senior executive write emails to his team. He would send me a few sentence fragments, and based on those, I would attempt to ghostwrite what I thought was a reasonable note. 

There was one problem.

In my version, I would diligently “fix” the spelling, punctuation and capitalization “mistakes” that appeared in the material that I had received. But by the time the messages were sent out, most of the "errors" had mysteriously reappeared. 

It took me a few tries to figure out: The leader was intentionally asserting his own imperfect writing style to seem more authentic.

In essence, he was trying to create the illusion that despite all the demands on his time, he could still take a few moments to dash off a note to the team - and connect with them personally. In this way, the email elevated his leader presence and created a sense of closeness with his large global team.

At the time, I was baffled, but in retrospect, it was kind of a brilliant strategy.

There were several lessons I took away from that experience:

1. The most important aspect of leader communication is that it sounds authentic and credible.
2. Everyone is curious to hear what a leader has to say. No one is interested in what their leader's communication advisor has to say.
3. When ghostwriting for a leader, make sure it's their voice that shines through, not yours.

Email still matters.

Over the past 15 years, we have seen the emergence of a wide array of business-friendly apps that deliver video, podcasts, texts, messages, blogs and internal social posts right to an employee’s pocket 24/7.

While those are all valid options for leader communications, nothing beats the immediacy and simplicity of a pithy, pointed emails that people can read, re-read and share.

The challenge, of course, is that those leader emails are competing for attention with lots of other interesting content on the same devices. Below are a few reflections and tips I've collected to avoid the pitfalls of bad leader emails and elevate your executive emails to an art.

The executive email genre has suffered from years of overuse and abuse.

Most are:

? Way too long. If you can't say what you need to say in less than 15 sentences, you might be writing a blogpost or executive memo - not an email.

? Convoluted. Your email should have only one main point. That point can be heralded in a clear subject line and absorbed on the first read.

? Impersonal. Too many emails are completely devoid of personality and read as if someone else wrote them. Even if you're a busy exec who is getting help from a great writer, that person should include elements of your distinct voice and tone that differentiate you as a human being and a leader.

But just because there are a lot of bad emails out there doesn’t mean we should abandon the format altogether.

When done well, email remains one of the most powerful ways to send a message quickly and efficiently. 

Here are a few of my top tips for leaders who want to engage their people via email: 

? Keep it brief and to the point. Think about the one thing you want your readers to take away after reading the note. What do you want them to do, think, feel or understand differently? That's your main point.

? Include your main point early in the message. Avoid front-loading your note with tons of context. Write your main point in the first sentence or two, so if people stop reading, they'll at least get the headline. You can include some context after that for people who want a deeper understanding.

? Your subject line is your headline. Make it attention-grabbing - not boring, vague or "corporate." For example, the subject line: "Important information about your year-end bonus" will have a nearly 100% open rate, while "Closing out the end of the year" will not.

? Eliminate anything too administrative. A senior leader's job is to rally the troops around purpose and strategy, not tell them how to fill out a benefits form. You can include links to more detailed information, or better yet, have someone else follow up with any logistics and to-dos.

? Assert your personal tone and style. Even if it's just adding your trademark greeting or sign-off, find a way to let your team know that you wrote the note (even if you get help from someone else).

? Humor and visuals. Short animations, memes, cartoons and family photos can all give your readers a smile and will make them more likely to open your emails in the future. Just keep it tasteful, and if you aren't sure, ask a trusted advisor.

More reading for all you executive memo wonks out there

Before executive emails, there were executive memos. I've always been a sucker for sharply written leader missives like those collected in Memos from the Chairman, a compendium of memos typed by the late Chairman of the now-defunct Bear Sterns bank. Below are two of my favorites.

Just because you're a busy leader doesn't mean you can't have some fun sharing your distinct voice, a point of view and some light humor. In fact, your people will love you more for it.

Hearing from readers always makes my day and keeps me going!???♀?Let me know if you have any suggestions for the newsletter or topics you'd like me to address next time. You can comment below or send me a message. Don't forget: SUBSCRIBE to get notified of future editions, and tell your friends.

See you in 2 weeks! - Rebecca G.