When you send an email, you want the reader to DO something.
Which means your email needs a Call To Action – where you ask them to DO something!
Ending an email like this…
“Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call”
…is NOT a Call To Action. Because you aren’t asking them to DO anything.
Much better is to end it like this…
“Please can you [insert their action] by [insert their deadline]. And then I will [insert the subsequent action I’ll do]”
For example:
“Please can you send me this month’s figures by the end of the day. And then I’ll put them in the board presentation for tomorrow’s meeting”
There are four reasons the reader is now likely to DO what you want:
- You’ve asked them to DO something
- You’ve given them a deadline to do it
- Because they know your subsequent action, they know the good things that will happen as a result of their action
- Also, they know that – if they don’t do their action – that’ll have a bad knock-on effect on you
Starting with “please” works well too. It’s assertive. When you start with “if”, that’s passive. And when you start with “I NEED you to do X” … well, that’s just rude (I always want to reply “Well, I need you to learn some manners”)
So, in your next email today…
Action Point
… if you want the reader to DO something, ask them to DO something. Try this technique, and see what happens…