Keep it simple – and polite – if you want a response to your email

It can be frustrating trying to get a response to your email but employing some behavioural psychology can help.
Catching and holding the attention of busy people with perpetually flooded in-boxes can be tricky, so the secret if you want someone to both read and respond to your email is to make it easy for them to read and engage.
Firstly, the email should have an appealing, short and clear subject line that captures the imagination and makes the recipient want to find out more b reading it. Indeed, most of us harvest or scan our email inbox and often only check who the sender is and read the subject header.
Once opened the email itself should be short and above all concise in clear simple language. Beware of information overload, the recipient can always come back for more. While you may have several things you want to communicate, the objective is to get a response so you can expand in a follow-up call or email.
Giving something of value to the recipient can also trigger a response. Perhaps by offering an idea, or suggestion relevant to them or their company. Relevance is also key by demonstrating you’ve done some research as we can all spot the ‘bollocks’ of most marketing messages.
Courtesy is also crucial. Research has shown that polite emails with correct spelling generate a better response rate. The sign-off is also important, for example “Thanks in advance” has been found to generate a much higher response rate then “Best wishes”.
Keeping your message short and simple also signals courtesy, that you understand the recipient is a busy person.
Your last paragraph should make it clear what you are asking for and it may be that you can set up further communication even if your recipient doesn’t respond by using phrasing such as “If I don’t hear anything, I’ll assume you’re happy to ….”.
Finally, the time when you send an email may be crucial. If you schedule your email to land in their inbox at the start of the working day, for example, there is a greater likelihood of its being read and of your getting a response.
Using automated scheduling software can also help, so that if you don’t get a response to your email a reminder email a couple of days later can nudge the recipient’s memory.
To summarise, remember the acronym EAST (Easy, Attractive, Social and Timely) no matter if your recipient has the brain of an Einstein. In this context, another acronym also applies, KISS (Keep it Simple, Stupid).