chrisbrogan.com - Latest Comments in Get Your Email Answered

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Sandrafolk — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 20:03:20 -0000

Chris,
Your advice about writing emails that get your attention is right on. These are the principles that we promote in our email writing program at the Language Lab. The following are some additional suggestions.
Put your most important points at the beginning of the email message.
Use no more than 3 short paragraphs.
Avoid the use of jargon and short forms that no one else understands.
Use precise language.
If you'd like any further pointers/information about the Language Lab email writing program, check out www.thelanguagelab.ca.
Sandra

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Notebook LCD Screens — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:47:15 -0000

Forget the touch, technoloy should move towards motion sensing via a camera. Similar to the new natal for xbox 360. Imagine the mouse pointer evolved into a mini hand.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

ScreenAid Customer Reviews — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:32:04 -0000

I didn't know that. It's really weird that they didn't mention this as an
option when I called on the tech support line, don't you think? They almost
tried to dissuade me from taking my laptop into the store.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Jeffnyrehab — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:40:23 -0000

OK,
This paragraph makes absolutely ZERO sense!

Re: Get Your Email Answered

usb flash drive — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 07:10:17 -0000

I often busy people contact them with interview requests, and an approach that worked for me is the large open little closer. I open ended individual (an interview, giving an indication of long-term relationship to gain publicity), but I near the end with a simple (yes or say no to the interview). I have time to interview them or can choose one or anything before they will add other tips can I do not want anything respond.A grammar and capitalization. Basically, anything that makes me less likely to respond to are concerned. All lower case letters or emails look like it really obvious grammar problems was not important to you.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Doug Caldwell — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 22:19:00 -0000

Aren't we using GMail and it's filter app, Chris. It would do wonders for your inbox, like by-passing it in the first place. Or read the book YouTube - Tyranny of E-Mail Jan 2010 http://bit.ly/5bJ92b

Another shortcut for a busy guy who others want to meet/talk. Tell them to use http://timebridge.com/ or similar app to get on your calendar. Can cut down a lot of the average of seven emails/phone calls between just two parties trying to get together.

New subject: Appreciate the suggestion to become more horizontally networked, not just vertical in one's industry/career that you made to Social Media Club of Dallas visit on 1/21/10.(#smcdallas)

Re: Get Your Email Answered

soup recipes — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:00:53 -0000

I am a strong believer in brevity when you are trying to get an email answered from someone who probably gets a ton of emails a day. They do not have a ton of time to read your long story and try to figure out where you are going with it.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Timberland shoes — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 19:06:43 -0000

I can't agree more.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Mari Anne Snow — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:07:10 -0000

Nice to see you at IMS09 this week....

Two thoughts:
1. Use your message greeting wisely, it's the start of the communication and sometimes it drives the decision to open or not open.
2. Tailor your communication so it conveys respect for the person on the other end - to Chris' point, it's never about you.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Stan Dubin — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 06:37:10 -0000

Knowing that most of the people I'm emailing are also dealing with an enormous number of emails, if I don't hear back from them in 3-4 days, I resend the entire message with the following at the top:

(Hi Bob, I'm resending this as I'm not sure it got to you)

95% of the time, a response comes back same day.

I do this with a variety of publics: existing clients, prospective clients, business associates, vendors, etc. I'll even sometimes use this with someone I'm "cold emailing" if I feel it's important to establish a relationship.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Steffan Antonas — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:10:35 -0000

Chris, #5 is particularly important - I almost wish it was in 48 font and underlined. If you're asking for help from some one, give them an incentive to help you and make it mutually beneficial. I don't know why so many people don't get that. People who want to guest blog fail at this a lot IMO - they start with a request to put a post on your blog that isn't related to your content and effectively acts as advertising for their content/services/products elsewhere. I'd be interested to see a post from you on potential win-win scenarios that people like you could suggest to marketers and guest bloggers etc (people who typically ask for value without providing any of their own) when the value proposition seems out of balance in their favor.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Bobster — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:04:07 -0000

How I am suppose to know your a heavy email recipient. There needs to be a flag or something, that says "Im a heavy receiver, to the point emails only!" or "Im a low email receiver, please elaborate so I can understand everything that your talking about - so I can answer properly"....... I receive maybe 10 emails a day - an I try really hard to get more, but it doesnt work.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Bobster — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:57:27 -0000

Can you actually answer your emails in the spreadsheet? I just built a form/sheet as a test, but didnt get further.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Michele Price — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:35:38 -0000

I am so with you and glad I am not to 600 but 397 is enough to make a girl pull out her beautiful hair.

That's why I tell folks to STOP emailing me. If you want something from me tweet it or send me quick skype message and SHAZAM we are done, capiche.

Love your to the pointness (new word)

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Liz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:25:11 -0000

My problems is that I subscribe to far too many email newsletters than is healthy for my Inbox. The ones that I receive monthly or twice/month I read while other sites send you several a day. It's hard to weed through them because they "might" contain useful information. It really helps if there is an appropriate subject line that describes the main topic.

If I got 600 personal email messages, I'd simply have multiple email addresses, one posted on my blog (for people I don't know but might want to), one for business interests (on business cards for people I'd met), and a separate one for close friends & family.

There's always a danger that you'll focus on one account & miss regularly checking on the others but I've found having multiple addresses helps me not miss the email messages from people I really want to stay in touch with.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Samantha Ettus — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:11:25 -0000

Brilliant. Love it. Thanks Chris.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

nthomas00 — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:52:12 -0000

600 emails a day? Wow! That's hard to manage on a daily basis.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Marian Schembari — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:50:29 -0000

Agreed. A note on emails that are "secretly" press releases: read the damn blog! I'm in PR and my dad's a journalist and he forwards me (really hilarious) emails he gets from publicists pitching a book, story, interview etc. Many are actually addressed to "New York Journalist". Seriously?
It doesn't take that long to personalize. Get a name. READ a post or two to double check what you want to pitch is relevant and then TIE IT BACK. When I first started in my current position I'm ashamed to admit I just cut an pasted our pitch letter - which, of course, resulted in zero responses. As soon as I started tailoring my emails to the actual person (gasp!), that's when I started hearing back. Yes, it takes longer, but the response rate is significantly higher.
That being said, I can obviously work on my brevity ;-)

Re: Get Your Email Answered

mccJustin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:13:06 -0000

1) Subject lines that identify purpose of email. Ex: Chris Brogan Book Pitch
2) Bold or underline the few meaningful points so a power scan will still connect the points and the reader can go back and read the surrounding text for context.
3) Emails get read like websites in the "F" pattern, be mindful of this http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.html
4) Use a short (10 words or less) sentence as a stand alone paragraph at the end of your email that states the need: Ex: Confrence09 NYC needs keynote speaker, can you do it?
5) Not sure any of these points matter if they are being read in a spreadsheet, but they are important for "real email viewing".

Just because you get a lot of email doesn't mean they are less important (especially in the senders mind). With popularity comes attention and admiration. The best figure out how to give something back to every contact to keep the 'feel good' train rolling. You never know when a fan will reveal himself to be a publisher or CEO with an offer. Don't turn into a robot responder, you'll loose the love.

Regards,
Justin McCullough

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Joachim Schulz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:11:47 -0000

Great tips, thanks for posting!

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Joachim Schulz — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:11:29 -0000

Great tips, thanks for posting!

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Neal Schaffer — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:54:49 -0000

Chris,

I am starting to get upwards of 100 emails a day and I'm in the midst of trying to figure out a system to not drown in social media myself... and with the announcement of Google Wave, I am beginning to view Twitter as another type of real-time email, thus doubling the amount of "email" communication I get everyday. With that in mind, I cannot imagine what you go through everyday looking at your Inbox and Twitter @Replies when you wake up in the morning...

More and more, as we all get much better connected on social networking sites and six degrees of separation becomes more like three or four, we are ALL going to be hitting the wall of having to manage volumes of emails sooner or later. The earlier we all recognize this and work hard to streamline our communications as you suggest, the better off we will all be.

With all of this in mind, just wanted to send you a "Thank You!" for these guidelines and the timeliness of your blog post.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

mccJustin — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:52:34 -0000

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Susan Murphy — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 08:30:52 -0000

I'm with you, Christina - I have over 80 students and the influx of email from them at this time of year gets a bit overwhelming. I tell the students at the beginning of the semester that I only check email on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. I also ask that if it's something that can wait till the next class, to come talk to me before the next class in person.

It's all about setting expectations.

What I find kind of ironic is, that the more one shares things online (i.e. Chris shares a LOT), the more people have the expectation that he's got even more to give away (hence the 50% of emails from people who want something). Personally I find that number incomprehensible - I find that people tend to take advantage of others' generosity online - and that doesn't sit right with me.

Perhaps the writers of these blatant "solicitation" emails should think twice about what they're asking for and why.

Re: Get Your Email Answered

Senderok Allen — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:31:43 -0000

Hi Chris,

Ironically, I sent an Email to you over the summer asking you to review our plug-in that, among other functions, sorts Emails by priority according to how you've treated specific senders in the past (and you can manually set certain people to be VIP, Important, Routine or No Priority). The plug-in will also check for authentication and give you an Unread Mail Map that tells you if you have really high priority Emails on various webmail accounts + Outlook simultaneously even if you have no browser opened and Outlook is closed. Your executive assistant, Kathryn, wrote back saying "Chris won't have the time to review your product next week".

That is really ironic. You must have had too many Emails that day. :-) Please try SenderOK and you'll be able to answer the most important stuff first, followed by the regular important stuff, etc. If you've already corresponded with someone before or their website is in your browser cache, they get a higher priority over someone totally unknown, unless you mark them No Priority.

This is like Plaxo but with the smarts to process incoming Email and prioritize.

By testing you could hopefully solve your problem and do a review for us at the same time.

BTW, Kathryn seemed very talented, having done a Sarcastic Wednesday video with the blogger Orli.