Making Email Work: Subject Lines

Let's face it, we all use it. Email is fast, simple and vital in today's business environment. Still, not every email makes its way to your intended receiver and that is a problem.

In today's spam-laden environment, if your email has a blank subject line or the words are not specific and on topic, assume that your email will find its way to electron recycling before it ever lands in a live mailbox. Today's junk mail filters automatically discard emails with blank subject lines or questionable words (and we all know what those words are).

Even if your message gets beyond the automatic guardians, it still has to compete in at least one more obstacle course: the email inbox. The subject line of your email is the title of your message. Like any other media using words, headlines matter. Presented with the following subject lines in your  inbox (all for the same basic email message), which would you click to read or select for delete?

• BAH
• Free Cheese
• Business Networking Event at Tradewinds Cheese Emporium

Did you pick “Free Cheese?” Remember that your email is going to a person every bit as busy as yourself. The more direct and to the point that we make our message, the more likely that it will be appreciated and accepted in a favorable manner. Everything you've learned about good business communications applies to email as well as any other kind of business correspondence.