Send More Effective Emails by Completing With These Two Steps
If you email a client about a project and never get a response from them, it could be because your email leaves questions too open. To make it easier for the recipient to respond, suggest the next step.
On the InVision blog, freelancer Robert Williams explains a typical problem freelancers face with clients, but this can also apply to other work situations:
Conversations with new clients inevitably went to the point where we needed to discuss solutions, and I thought by letting the client dictate what they want from me, I was allowing them to get exactly what they were looking for.
But it was actually a smoking bunch of crap. When I finished my emails this way, I would throw my work wheelbarrow onto my client’s desk and say, “Here. You can handle it. “
To increase the chances of a response, Williams suggests sending emails that end with an action:
This next step was different for each email, but always followed the same two-step structure. I would include:
- My suggested next step
- What could we do if they don’t want it
…. A good rule of thumb is that if the client can simply respond to your email “sounds good,” you are right.
Again, it’s mainly aimed at freelancers dealing with tough clients, but it’s a good rule of thumb for sending work emails in general. Check out the full post at the link below.
The Right Way to Complete an Email to a Customer | InVision Blog