3 Ridiculously Easy Ways To Get Your Message Read
He sent a long block of text in his email, so I deleted it.
The salesman was desperate to get my attention. He was on his fifth email, but all I read was his subject line.
Even that was disappointing.
When you write to get someone's attention, approval, or to share information, you have to make it worth reading.
Here's how.
Savvy up your GRAMMAR.
There's no need to whip out your English class textbook. If you're like me, there's likely drool marks on sporadic pages from a boredom-induced coma.
Grammar is simple. It's articulating your message in a reputable way.
You're not an English literature major. It's best to write as you talk, but with some caveats.
It's not the best representation of yourself if you send a client a message with misspelled words.
Just imagine how you look:
Hi John, we hit an isue with the delivery of you're order. It's gonna be another 33 days.
I wouldn't take you seriously. It's unlikely your client will either.
When you're communicating in written form, tighten up your grammar. It makes the other person feel better about who they're conversing with.
Use Grammarly to make this incredibly simple.
Tools like this correct your grammar anywhere you write on the internet, or on your mobile device.
It's the best way to keep your grammar in check without having to spend precious time editing.
Be CONCISE.
Have you ever become bored reading something? How about that email from someone who rambled?
According to Grammarly,
"concise writing means using the fewest words possible to convey an idea clearly."
You don't want to make things harder for your recipient. If what you send makes then feel overwhelmed, confused, or bored, you missed the communication mark.
It's easy to write three paragraphs explaining the status of your project—that's rambling.
It's harder to cut your message down to three sentences, but it's a better option.
You're being clear and articulating the most essential points.
If you do need to have a detailed conversation, schedule a meeting or telephone call. Written communication is for concise discussions.
Here's how to be concise:
Don't say what doesn't need to be said.
Eliminate redundant words.
Strengthen weak adjectives.
Get to the point.
Use short paragraphs.
Remove vague nouns.
Simplify your sentence structure.
Eliminate filler words.
Write active sentences.
Deliver a CLEAR message.
Just because you have spectacular grammar, doesn't mean your message is easy to read.
If someone has to read what you wrote more than once, it's not clear—your goal when writing is to get your message read and acted upon.
When you send a message with long sentences, confusing details, and a long drawn out paragraph, there's no way the other party is going to be clear on exactly what you're trying to say.
Writing tools can alert you when you're being wordy and offer alternatives.
It just did on that last LONG sentence:
Here are some examples from Grammarly. They're showing you how to be concise, but being concise and clear is the goal.
Wordy: There is flexibility in our plans, so please tell us when you are free.
Concise: Our plans are flexible, so please tell us when you are free.
Wordy: This policy may cause confusion for our clients.
Concise: This policy may confuse our clients.
Wordy: You have the ability to adjust the volume using the button on the side of the phone.
Concise: You can adjust the volume using the button on the side of the phone.
Wordy: Needless to say, I personally would recommend prepaying in advance to ensure no disruption of your future plans.
Concise: I would recommend prepaying to ensure no disruption of your plans.
Take action on these written communication strategies, while you repeat the benefits of your message being acted upon.
The best thing you can do today is practice. Be conscious of how you're writing your messages. Seek to get better.
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