Everyone knows that email is grossly inadequate in communicating emotion, motives, and attitude. The ‘stories people tell themselves about you’, the content of your email and how good a communicator you are will all shape the overall ‘tone’ that the reader picks up – whether it’s true or not.
For example, consider the following email:
“The office will be closed and locked all day on Monday. However, I will be in my office. If you need to get hold of me, do not knock on the doors or call the office. Shoot me a text or ring the doorbell instead.”
There’s not a whole lot wrong with that email. It presents the information that the writer wants to communicate and states clearly what not to do and what to do if someone wants in the building. However, it’s kind of abrupt and assumes the reader isn’t reading between the lines. There is one very small thing you can commit to do in the majority of your emails starting today that will help soften your digital tone of voice.
Tactical Tip: Say ‘Thanks’ at the end of your email.
That’s it. It’s so simple, yet we often just end our emails with no closing line, like the example above. Consider that same email with that one extra word added:
“The office will be closed and locked all day on Monday. However, I will be in my office. If you need to get hold of me, do not knock on the doors or call the office. Shoot me a text or ring the doorbell instead. Thanks!”