Shawna Schuh, Presenter, Author and Consultant

Profitable People Skills

The Subject Is Subject Lines

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The Subject is Subject Lines

By Shawna Schuh, CSP

Are you getting too many emails? Are you spending too much time replying to, deleting, or deciding what to do with all that information? You are not alone! Between the spam, the jokes, and all the other junk that slips into your email inbox throughout the day, it's difficult to decide what to read and what to ignore. Today I will address how to keep the emails you send from being deleted before they are read and how to be more effective with this techno touch - the email subject line!

First off and most importantly: Put something in the subject line. Some email programs won't even let you send your message without filling in the subject line, which goes to show that even a machine thinks it's important! I leave a reminder on my email program so that I don't accidentally forget to add the subject of my emails. The same is true of spell checking - this feature makes sure we appear as professional as possible.

So what do you put in the subject line? The answer to this question makes you appear either effective or ineffective and can also show your professionalism and style.

If you are sending an email to someone you haven't previously corresponded with, ask yourself how you want to be perceived by the reader who receives your email.

I recently spoke with a woman who gets more emails than she wants or feels capable of handling. She's in email overload like many of us. We spoke at length about how ineffective many people are in using subject lines. She deletes anything without a subject line, messages with a subject line that doesn't apply to her, or messages that appear to be advertisements. I think many of us can relate to her method.

It occurred to me, though, that she could be missing things that may be of value to her, but with over a hundred emails coming in each day she feels the risk is worth the wasted time. This is a decision that she has made and it works for her, but if people used subject lines more effectively she won't have to worry. Emails with valuable information will state that in the subject line. At least yours will after reading this article!

If you want busy people to read your emails or reply to you, you MUST include relevant information in the subject line.

Here are a few examples of effective subject lines:

a) Be Specific and familiar.

a) Subject: Here's the status of xyz project.

b) Subject: Completion of project xyz is on time.

c) Subject: Please RSVP for Nov. administrator conference.

d) Subject: Company picnic info.

2. Be concise.

a) Subject: Your order is on its way!

b) Subject: It arrived!

c) Subject: Deadline is March 1

d) Subject: Final outline

e) Subject: [Name of ezine]

To be more efficient on the receiving end of email, read the subject line first and if it states something you feel could be of value, glance at the sender and either open it, delete it, or stick it in a folder.

When you are composing emails, be careful not to use generic subject lines or ones that might appear to be an advertisement. These are the first emails busy people delete and your important information may go into the recycling bin without even a glance. This could even be why you don't get replies from people you send information to.

I do realize that "spammers" are getting very clever with the subject lines they use, which is why inappropriate email makes it past filters, but with a little thought you can be much more effective by using subject lines specifically and concisely!

Conquer Apathy and Erase Rudeness as you follow proven, fun and beneficial information by Shawna Schuh, CSP. Specializing in communication, professionalism, service & business finesse. Shawna helps you bring your best self to the work you do for maximum results. To book Shawna to speak or for article reprinting contact Sandy McCready at 503-280-1946 or visit www.ShawnaSchuh.com.

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