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You often write email. Don't you? There are many factors determining when the
email message is read or otherwise. The content and the quality of your writing style has a
*lot* to do with it. But no matter how good the quality of your message, the
layout and look is equally important. Your message must be *easy* and
*inviting* to read, otherwise you might lose the competition for the time
and attention of your recipient.
And judging from the masses of email that you receive daily, the look of the majority can be improved.
Please keep in
mind that it is difficult to read from the computer screen. Make sure that
your message is as inviting as possible.
Use a lot of white space
=> Write shorter paragraphs than you would in your offline messages -
and *always* double space between paragraphs. A blank line between
paragraphs is a must. Use two or three blank lines to separate between
topics.
=> Make some sentences very short and let them stand alone between
blank lines. It helps to emphasize the point you are making and it allows
the eye to rest a bit...
Like this.
Be expressive
There are many replacements for gestures and intonation.
=> Use smileys :-) for a smile or more sophisticated
for a grin. And even ;-) for a playful wink.
=> Use typed "vocalizations" - they will add life to your
email, as long as you do not overdo it. Here are some of my favorites:
- ouch!
- hmmm
- wow!
- huh?
- aaaaah...
- yeah!
Stay away from caps
=> The human eye is trained to read by recognizing the shapes of the
letters. Take for example the word: "day" -- you can just give
it a glance to recognize three distinctive heights of the letters and read
the word easily - and instantly. If you want to emphasize a word in email,
use asterisks - like in *this* example.
Remember that your email is the equivalent of your presence, and speaks
volumes. It creates impressions about you just like your personal grooming
does. Make sure your email is your ally!
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FINMART
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