Deep down within our blood, we’ve grown a need to bond with others. To connect with everyone in our surroundings and share our experiences. In the online era of today, that bond is created through email. That’s why it’s more critical than ever to open your soul to your recipients and make them see who you really are and what you have to offer. There’s no other better way than writing a personal email.
But how do I write an email that’s as personal as possible without crossing the boundaries of professionalism, you might ask? That’s what I’m about to discuss – the best ways to make you sound more personal in an email and help you earn relationship points with your customers, users, subscribers, whoever you’re emailing.
“You” and “I”
No matter who you write to, whether it is your customer, subscriber or a colleague and business partner, always make sure to speak directly to them. Everyone loves to feel special and appreciated, so make sure you provide that to your recipients. The best way to do it is by addressing them with ‘you’ rather than ‘the whole community’ and by referring to yourself as ‘I’ or ‘we’ rather than ‘the company’ or ‘the blog.’ You may not believe it, but these small words make all the difference in terms of writing your email in a personal tone. They help you connect with your recipients even more than you can imagine and with that earn their dedication.
However, let’s not forget the names. Another important part of speaking directly is putting people in the center of your email. By that I think donors, clients, staff and all other participants in your idea. You should add them to your content by their names to make your recipients believe in your words. Plus, it will make the reader of the email feel like a part of your team. And that is what you aim at, isn’t it?
KISS! (Keep It Short & Sweet)
What is more personal than to say everything without talking much? Just think of your best friend. When you’re writing to them, do you use long paragraphs and details or simply write your intentions in a couple of words? I know it’s the latter, so use that in your personal emails as well. K.I.S.S. or Keep It Short and Sweet is the key to revealing your closeness with the recipient. By telling them the purpose of the email in a short and concise way you only show that you care about them. Not to mention that in the modern era of today people don’t have heaps of time to waste on reading long emails. According to Forrester, 72% of US online adults send or receive personal emails via smartphone at least weekly. So you think that they have time to read long texts on the small mobile screens? No, my friend. If you have something lengthy on your mind, summarize it in a few points or just give them a call.
To illustrate the sweetness of the short and succinct email take a look at these two examples:
- Hello,
I’m writing to tell you that we made a deal with an Italian restaurant to take special kinds of cheese and salami. We plan to use them in the new pizza recipes we’re launching next month. Because you’re a regular customer and you buy a big amount of our products we like to inform you of this decision first. We hope that you will like the new pizzas and perhaps give a shout out on your Instagram.
- Hey,
Guess what?! A new type of pizza arrives in our restaurant next month with special Italian cheese and salami. As a loyal customer, we’d like to invite you to try it out and share your thoughts.
It’s obvious that you should write like the second one in order to sound personal and devoted in the eyes of your recipient. So, if I were you I would KISS the subscribers all the time.
Slip a personal life story between the lines
‘I did this…’, ‘I did that…’ always has its way to help you connect with people. And the more you use them in your emails the better. Not only that you’d sound personal, but you’ll forge a bond with the recipient that would be hardly broken. Anytime you can you should strive to include a bit of your personal life among the words of your email to present a closer image of yourself to the reader and make them feel like a friend of yours.
For instance, which email do you think is more personal from these two?
A) I’m writing to inform you that I have prepared the documents for the meeting with the foreign partners.
B) I left the documents for the meeting with our foreign partners on your desk this morning. Can you believe what happened to me? It was just like the times in high school when the only excuse was ‘the dog ate my homework’. And you know what? Oh my God, that was exactly what happened. They all ended in Bruno’s mouth and he’ll be punished for it, don’t worry.
Anyway, have a nice day
You see how in the second one the writer uses more approachable sentences depicting real life situations and most importantly shares a secret with the reader. That’s exactly what you should do to sound personal. It may be longer, but you know that some things have to give. You have to decide whether you’d like to go with being the shortest you can but sound artificial and computer-generated or go for the longer and friendlier type.
And check out how the second email ends. No matter what you write and whom you write to, be kind to one another.
Living by the bylines
Sometimes when you pick a newspaper up in your hands you’re overwhelmed by all of the stories and the time they all require to be read. That’s why you look in the bylines (the lines in the newspaper naming the writer of the article) for a familiar name and a familiar face of an awesome journalist attached to it. Why? Because you know that you can trust them and you simply like their passion and the style.
The same applies to emails. When your recipient sees your name accompanied by personal information, they get a sense of security. That way you’ll show them that the time they’ll spend reading your email will be time well-spent. Look at it this way, if you don’t want to sign your name below your text and give your telephone number, then why should you bother to write them a personal email?
Sounding personal in an email is crucial and groundbreaking for the communication between you and your recipient. There’s nothing like creating a special relationship with your subscribers, customers or business partners that would only bring benefit to you, your blog or company. Implement these points and you’ll see messages flowing in your inbox. Just remember, your recipients have invested their time and trust in you, so write to them like you would to a family. Because indeed they are your online family.
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