3 simple words are the secret to getting people to read—and respond to—your emails
Like it or not, email is a huge part of how we work and communicate. The average office worker receives around 121 emails and sends around 40 emails a day, according to an estimate by the Silicon Valley technology research firm The Radicati Group. Still, you can make your emails stand out with three simple words, says Danny Rubin, author of "Wait, How Do I Write This Email?"
"The best way to ask someone to help us is not to come around asking straight up for a favor but to use these three words: need your advice," says Rubin.
By putting "need your advice" in the subject line of an email, you're validating the person you are emailing, which makes them more likely to open and read your message and even help you out. "We are all looking for validation every day from all directions," Rubin says. "We don't care where it comes from, we just want other people to validate who we are and what we have accomplished and what we are capable of."
"We're all so busy running our business or in our jobs and we don't like to stop and answer emails that take us out of our flow," says Rubin. "But as soon as somebody puts in a subject line 'need your advice,' suddenly, we stop dead in our tracks, look at our phone, and we say, 'You know what, I would love to help this person,' because it's so gratifying when somebody asks for our opinion, our insight our knowledge base."
In the body of the email, be sure to continue what you began in the subject line. Reference your email recipient's accomplishments to show that you have done your research. You can include details about relevant deals they have made, books they have written or speeches they have given.
By knowing your stuff about the person you're trying to reach, you can make sure your emails come off as sincere, valuable and worth their time.
"That's how doors open in the business world. Nobody wants to deal with someone who just has their hand out or expecting someone to do something for them," says Rubin. "You first have to prove that you respect who they are, and then they will take an interest in you."
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