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Communication 101
By Dennis Mahagin, Sat Dec 10th
There's no question about it: E Mail has arrived. According to aresearch group studying technology trends, by the year 2005, onethird of all electronic billing will be carried out via e mailroutes; and devices like the "Blackberry" (a palm-sized, mobilewireless device designed exclusively for sending and retrievinge mail) will no doubt inevitably be scaled down to micro-sizeand incorporated into household and/or items ofclothing-- so that sometime in the not-distant future you willbe checking your Inbox from under a band-aid-sized fanny packvelcro snap, shoe sole, or the brim of your favorite baseballcap. There are even companies who will now pay you $$ to read,and send, E Mails! http://www.zwallet.com/index.html?user=artfor The E Mail now stands poised to replace the "cold call" as oneof the most widely applicable and effective business tools ofthe 21st century. Herein lies the caveat: Technology such asthis forces upon us a new communication style, summed up belowfor the purpose of keeping your vital business e mailcommunications from being mouse-pulled to the nearest Trash iconby a deluged and easily-distracted reader. Think of the acronym,T.I.T.E.-- for tight writing-- to burn these basic principlesinto your brainpan database.
Some Ballpark rules to ponder: GET PERSONAL -- Engage back-up e mail accounts forsent-and-received messages of the FFA (Free For All) Links andAutoresponder variety, freeing up your main mailbox for "qualitytime" correspondence, wherein you'll generate the bulk of yourbona fide, "personal" contacts, two or three of which will beworth way more, over the long haul, than a hundred anonymous,automated hits that are divorced from your direct influence andmean very little outside a multi-level-marketing (MLM) context,which of course has its place but is handled by robots and, bydefault ! , is outside the scope of this discussion. Which leadsus right into: BAD FORM -- If your message, sent by human - to human, reekseven remotely of a form letter, odds are it will be discarded,half-read or ignored completely, unless you're giving awayautographed copies of Elvis Presley's last prescription refill !Use templates and macros to ease the process of multiplemailings, but try as best you can to "personalize" each message,(especially as concerns the Title and Body of the e mail) andthose few minutes of extra work will pay off huge dividends.Nothing turns a reader off more than the stale tone and"voicemail-menu-cold" qualities of a form letter. USE WHITE SPACE -- Break up your message with liberal usage ofthe spacebar, both horizontally and vertically, i.e.-- betweensentences like this; and between paragraphs like this. It's just easier on overworked eyes period . Now forthe main course of study : 1. [ T ] Title: An often-underestimated but crucial
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part of your message. Itmust have a hook that makes the reader curious enough todouble-click on it. Virus - mongers have been intimately awareof, and adept at this technique for years. Nothing gets readuntil it's opened. If someone referred you to the personreceiving your e mail, include that name as "mutual friend" inthe title bar. If there is a benefit to be conveyed by yourmessage, try to sum it up in a title that grabs the reader'sinterest immediately. By way of example-- 1) Bad Title: "Hello Potential Customer JohnX !"; 2) Good Title: "Website Traffic Booster Recommended byMutual Friend Joe Y !" 2. [ I ] Introduction In a paragraph consisting of no more than 3 sentences, startyour message by clearly and succintly telling your reader whoyou are , and why you're writing. If you must "toot your ownhorn" here, do it very lightly. There is plenty of time later(in future communications) for the reader to find out all aboutyour background, qualifications, and inherently fine personaltraits! Right off the bat, like a major league relief pitcher"setting the plate" for his best pitch, in the intro you arequickly working the reader into a malleable state of mind toreceive the next step, wherein you: 3. [ T ] Tell the Tale To the extent that, in steps 1 and 2, you've made a promise todeliver a pitch, or set up a scenario of sorts, here is thelitmus test for how well you deliver on that promise. Say whatyou need to say in strong, specific terms, and be as brief aspossible without damaging the thrust of your intent. Create asense of urgency by conveying an easily-understood benefit tothe reader, and follow up with reasons why you are the personbest suited, in the here and now, to bestow such a benefit uponthe reader. Have you ever heard someone tell a joke really well?The trick is in getting quickly and smoothly to the punchline,then delivering it with an even tone and straight face, rightbefore: 4. [ E ] Ending Believe it or not, this is where most "communicators" get hungup. You can nail the first three steps like a seasoned pro, butnot capping off your e - message in a timely fashion can be asurefire way to see it "fragged." The reader must be left with a taste of curiosity lingering onthe roof of his or her mouth, that can only be quenched by-- youguessed it!-- responding to your message. No matter how eloquentyou may indeed be, the old adage "less is more" could not bemore appropos than at this juncture. If you cannot "tell thetale" in 75 words (100 max.) delete the copy and start again. You will be rewarded with a swelling address book, successfullink exchanges by the score, and a rare skill indispensable fornavigating the rough cyber-seas of communication-- tightwriting. About the author:Dennis Mahagin promotes and develops content for websites,writes articles, fiction and poetry for publication on the Web,and puts together grant applications in his spare time.http://www.artforstudios.com/
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