If you have a large sports ministry, you rely on email heavily. I know I do. Here are some helpful tips from Ben Reed:
Bold the things you want read. Understand that every word won’t be read. By “bolding” the important words, you ensure that they’ll be read.
Start your email with the most important things. Again, assume people won’t read ever word.
Leave an action statement at the bottom. Many times, people will read the first few sentences and the last few. Make sure you catch them before they hit “delete.”
Break your email into two sections: short and long. Be explicit with what you’re doing. In the “short” section, just give bullet points. No explanations, just the facts. In the “long” section, elaborate on each point a little bit, giving people more details if they want to read more.
Include your main point in the subject line.
Include an action step in the subject line. This may not guarantee that your email will be read, but it will ensure that what you want done because of the email gets done.
Use numbered lists. People are more likely to read your email if they know that there are only __ points in it. Lists are magical.
Less is more. Keep your emails under 250 words. Anything more deserves a phone call. Or a cup of coffee. Or both.
Cc their superior. This is a ninja move. It could get you what you want. But it could get you enemies just as quickly.
Never FWD junk email. Never. It breaks trust rather than building it.
