#email Archives | She Leads Africa | #1 destination for young African ambitious women

How to write an email- 5 spam-proof tips

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There are a couple of important things to note when you’re writing an email. The average person receives about 120 emails each day and only opens 25% of them. This is approximately 30 but I guarantee you that it’s probably way less. I for one only open about 5 on a good day. You need an email that doesn’t get lost in the noise of the receiver’s inbox.

When the receiver opens, the goal is to get them to read your email instead of adding it to spam. Here’s how to write an email in 5 easy steps:

1. Start with an eye-catching subject line

Your subject line is the make or break part of your email. If you’re competing with 130 emails for attention then you want to stand out in every way possible. Make sure your subject line goes straight to the point. NEVER send an email without a subject line.

If it’s a job application, sometimes employers give guidelines for what your subject line should be. In this case, follow the rules. It’s not the time to get creative. Keep your subject line short and sweet- should be 55 characters or less.

Here are a couple of good examples of good email subject lines:

Job Application: Application for the role of Marketing Associate
Cold email: Career growth training opportunity for your employees
Follow up: Re: Application for the role of Marketing Associate

2. Time for salutations

‘Dear Ms. Z’ Or ‘Dear Mr. Y’ is really your safest bet in formal situations. If you’re sure about the gender of the person you’re sending to, you can use ‘Dear Sir’ or ‘Dear Madam’.

Please avoid saying ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ as much as possible because it tells the person that you didn’t really bother to do a bit of research on who you were sending the email to.

For less formal companies and organisations, you can just say Hello X. If you’re in doubt, always use Mr., Ms., Dr. or Professor to be on the safe side

3. Ask how they’re doing

This is just a one-liner that makes a good difference in your email. It’s a tad rude to just go straight to what you want. When you’re sending an email, you want to ask how they’re doing before saying anything else.

4. Introduce yourself and get straight to the point

So you’ve gotten the receiver’s attention, good job! It’s time to give them a brief but concise introduction of yourself and what you do in relation to the email you’re sending.

Here’s a great example:

My name is Sola Adebakin and I’m a software engineer at XYZ solutions. I am writing to apply for the role of Chief Technology Officer at She Leads Africa.

If you’re writing on behalf of a company, you should introduce yourself first and say your role before introducing your company and what your company does.

Example:

My name is Sola Adebakin and I’m a software engineer at XYZ solutions. I am writing to give you a better and faster alternative to 4G internet for your company through a new solution provided by XYZ

XYZ is a wifi solutions provider that gives companies up to 5 times faster internet services. We’ve helped companies like Sterling Bank, Frosty Bites and MalcolmTrust get up to 5 times faster internet and we’d love to do the same to you.

You can then go on with your ask but keep it as short as possible never let your email exceed 4 paragraphs unless absolutely necessary.

5. Close it out

For your closing words, Warm regards is one of the safest options to use. You could also use Best or Regards in a more informal email.

Example:

Warm regards,
Tiffany Aku

That’s it! your email is ready to conquer your receiver’s inbox!

Yasmin Says: Mastering the art of the email follow up

by Yasmin Belo-Osagie

At the end of a networking event or conference, you may end up with dozens of business cards in your portfolio or your purse. While getting the initial card is definitely important, it’s even more important to master the art of the email follow up.

First things first: a few days after the conference, send a brief follow up email to everyone you met. Don’t wait too long or the conversation you had will no longer be relevant in their mind.

1. Have a clear subject line like “Follow up from XYZ Conference” so they don’t assume you’re sending spam since they’re unlikely to recognize your name.

2. Don’t assume they’ll remember exactly who you are since they probably met a bunch of people at the conference. So include subtle hints that will juggle their memory. Here’s an example:

Hi Mrs XYZ,

It was so lovely meeting you at XYZ conference and having the opportunity to talk to you about SLA, the organization that I co-founded which supports young African women on their journey towards professional success.

See what I did there? I subtly reminded them who I was by referring to my organization.

3. Don’t get aggressive if they don’t respond. Everyone’s busy and its not their job to help you. If they don’t respond at first, wait a week and then send the exact same email again. If they still don’t respond, wait a month and then send them an update email, sharing some of the progress you’ve made over the past month and then include your request again. IF they still don’t respond, fall back but keep sending them updates on you and your business once a quarter or once every six months.

Everyone likes to be associated with success, so showing them how well you’re doing may encourage them to respond. I’ve emailed people for over a year before they responded!! Be persistent yet respectful, and keep up with the follow up.

Craft the perfect email for everyone in your office

by Samrawit Bos

In part I of emailing like a boss, I provided a checklist with the correct structure to slay all of your professional emails. In part II, I discussed how to tweak your content to suit you reader, be it a colleague, employee, boss, or client/customer.

Understanding your reader is essential to getting an effective response. You wouldn’t talk to your sister in the same way you talk to your father. That’s foolishness, especially in an African household.

This same principle applies to your email. Knowing your reader is important as it establishes their position and affects the tone of your message. Let’s dissect workplace roles and how to tailor your email for each one.

Colleagues: Teamwork makes the dream work

Be a great team player, do your part, and communicate in a productive manner. Find ways to personalize each message even when sending generic emails. This way, you aren’t victim to the bystander effect, where no one responds because everyone got the email.

Communicate to everyone one individually. Be open, driven, and progressive towards an equal compromise .

Employees: People want to be led by a visionary

A person with a clear vision and passion for success is the best person to work for. Whether you know this or not, people choose to work for you because they believe your vision can and will get them paid.

If that isn’t trust, I don’t know what is. Try using words that indicate appreciation and urgency to get a task done.

Upper Management, ie. Boss: Busy, Busy, Busy!

One vital thing to know about the lives of your boss and upper management is that they are far too busy taking care of the company to waste time reading emails that beat around the bush. In fact, you have the subject line to capture their attention.

As an employee sending an email to upper management, your email has to be exceptionally purposeful, brief, and relevant. Every word and sentence counts so no need to repeat or go too far with descriptions (unless that is the task at hand). You can find seven fabulous tips to help you send emails to your boss here.

Remember, potential employers are even busier than the management you work for. Why? Because they do not know you. So give them a reason to want to know you.

Clients / Customers: Great customer service leads to profit

Let’s face it, we love our customers because we exist to cater to them. And this catering comes with a price: communicating personally with a clear purpose is key to sustaining and building your brand loyalty. Always use positive framing. Listen and respond to your customers in a timely fashion.

Give your customers what they want, which is to be understood. Acknowledge their comment and respond directly to their words. Because remember, a business is nothing without its customers.

Have you used any other tips to save you from the proverbial African disgrace when writing email? If so, feel free to share them with us.

Email like a boss : Ingredients to cook-up stellar professional emails

by Angela Adusah

Professional emails are to a business what healthy food is to your body, vital! You eat healthy foods to get a stronger body and longevity. Similarly, professional emails are necessary to the fruition and strength of any business.

The ability to communicate thoroughly with neutrally progressive language is imperative to achieving your business or career.

It seems challenging and tricky, but like every healthy habit, consistency is key.

Here is a checklist to cook up a healthy and effective professional piece of art with your own clear and personable touch.

Subject – Perhaps the shortest but most influential part of your email

The subject is what gets the reader to open your email. Too bold and it’s regarded as spam, cheap or unimportant. Too dull and it’s forgotten. Both extremes run the risk of not being read at all. Be specific and hint a reason for their urgent attention. If time sensitive, state a deadline, i.e., “Please reply by [date]”.

Greeting Salutation – Greet your reader accordingly

If the reader is in a different time zone, no need for day-relevant words (morning, afternoon or night). The simplest greeting is “Dear, [name].” or “Hello” If you aren’t sure who your reader is, “ To whom it may concern” is another option (though I don’t recommend it.)

Introduction – Compliments and pleasantry and Introduce yourself (2 sentences)

Begin the body of message reminding them of who you are. “Thank-you”s or “it was great meeting you at [name event]” are subtly pleasant ways of reminding the reader of who you are. Setting a genuine tone at the start your message goes a long way. If you are familiar with your reader, pleasantries such as “ I hope all is well with you and yours,” works wonders.

When introducing yourself for the first time, keep it brief and relevant. If you and the reader are already acquainted, rely on your well crafted signature (at the end) to speak to your current endeavors.

Reason for email – Purpose (1-2 sentences)

This is where your purpose resides. Use the “One Thing” rule. What do you seek and how does it serve your purpose? Brainstorm ideas before you start your email. This way, you can establish why the email is relevant to the reader/recipient, and have it laid out clearly and accurately.

Call of action – What are you asking for?

What actions need to occur to have the mission possible? What do you need from the reader? Be accurate, clear, and reasonable. If it takes longer than two sentences to describe this portion, listing them in bullet point is the best way to go.

Bullet points are easier on the eyes and more importantly easier for your reader to note them down. Remember the one thing rule, how do your call for actions affect your purpose?

Closing message – Close as you started, genuinely (1-2 sentences)

Every email you send should be important. If your email is time sensitive, state a time and date you would like to hear a response, so there;s a sense of urgency.

If it isn’t time sensitive, say so respectfully and tactfully. One such statement is, “I hope to hear from you at your earliest convenience.”

Closing Salutation and signature

To keep things simple, professional closing salutations can be short, “Best”.

Your signature should not exist in the body of your email. Mention your name, title, link to business address and your contact information. This way, you have a short yet effectual platform to speak of your current phones.

So there you have it, a checklist of all the structure that a professional email needs. Whether you are sending this professional email to a client, co-worker or potential employer, this checklist will have you getting responses in a jiffy.