How to write an e-mail that’ll be read (A Commentary)

On the Harvard Business Blog David Silverman suggests in “How to Revise an Email So That People Will Read It” how you in 10 steps “ensure” that people will read your e-mail. I felt compelled to comment (and I’ve included a few comments from biz writer John Simmons too. Read him!), because I don’t quite think David’s approach cracks the nut. For one he suggests 30-50 revisions, if you send your e-mail to more than 10 people?

There are some sound pieces of advice in his blog post, but I disagree on a number of points.

First of all he suggests:

1 to 5 recipients = 2 to 4 revisions
5 to 10 recipients = 8 to 12 revisions
Company-wide or to Executive Committee = 30 to 50 revisions

I agree: You must revise, but this many revisions doesn’t make sense. I wonder how he defines a revision? As adding a comma, or reading though the e-mail from top to bottom to re-edit – up to 50 times? I cannot imagine anyone doing that, unless they live in a world where there’re no constraints on time.

In the exchange of e-mails I had with John Simmons he wrote: “…I’d say that the best editing is done away from the computer. /…/ I do all my first drafts of serious writing by hand…”, and when I read this, it totally resonated with me. I find the computer surprisingly restrictive on my creative capacity. A large blank sheet of paper, or a wee notebook works much better, when I need to express ideas, describe concepts, sketch, or when I feel poetic. So if your e-mail is really important, you may want to start off-line.

John also wrote: “If it takes that much effort all the joy will go out of the writing, you’ll be bored with it, and if you’re bored your readers will be too.” That too makes sense. I can find writing boring if I don’t have fun during the process, and having fun writing includes breaking David S’s next rule.

He suggests: “Use numbers and specifics instead of adverbs and adjectives.” Here he’s 50% correct, but the other hand he’s just so wrong. I agree that you should be specific rather than vague. However that does not disqualify using colourful adverbs and adjectives. Love’em. Any text is more likely to be read if it engages the  reader – even a busy reader. In business only accountants find numbers alone engaging.

“Life’s full of rules made by people who don’t really understand what they’re ruling on…” John wrote to me, and I agree. David S. bans going off-topic and even emotion, but though we work for businesses, we are still human and emotions are often essential to create a connection. They surely have a place in writing e-mails, as long you have your wits about you.

David S. has previously written “4 Tips for Writing Better E-mail“, which is also worth a read. His first two points are the best. I agree: first you tell the reader what you want her/him to do, and then you tell him why it is relevant. What you write beyond 100-150 words is likely not to be read, unless you are a really gifted writer, and your message is super relevant.

I wish I was better at being brief and concise myself, but I do tend to rant away… ;-)