“Call me Ishmael.”
Any writer will tell you that the first line of their work is the most important. Herman Melville’s opening line to Moby Dick has been voted the best first sentence of any novel in history by the American Book Review. The first line needs to grab your attention, create curiosity, and compel you to read the next line.
The subject line of your email is your hook. Your opening salvo determines if your email goes to spam or gets opened and read. Create and update a list of subject lines that work for you. I keep a list and continually tweak it and measure my response rate.
Next, learn how to write a good email. If you’re sending a first-time email to a new prospect or client, it should read like a movie poster. “If it looks like a quick read, rather than a major investment of time and attention, you’re likely to give it a look,” says Paul Brown, Your Attention Please. Three very short paragraphs on a first email should do it.
How do you learn to write compelling text? Take Roy H. Williams’ (The Wizard of Ads) advice – read poetry. Williams says it’s not who you reach, it’s what you say. Reading poetry shows you how to say much with little in the most creative ways.
HER CHARIOT RACED
AT EIGHTY PER
THEY HAULED AWAY
WHAT HAD BEN HUR
BURMA-SHAVE
Don’t send any attachments with your first emails. Always ask your reader for permission. And keep any graphics (signature line, company logo) small in size so you won’t clog-up the recipient’s mailbox.
This is not everything you need to know, but it’s a good start.
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