How to Write an Email That Gets Shit Done
The first person I asked for ideas about what they would want to know about everyday writing was my husband, David. It didn't take him long to think of something.
"How do I write an email that... you know... actually does something? Makes the person do something?"
"How do I write an email that gets shit done?"
Ah, yes. Something I can sink my teeth into! Professional writing is nothing if not trying to get the reader to do something.
Now there’s a lady who knows how to get shit done.
You can apply the same principles to your emails, and I promise things will start getting done.
Think about what makes you take action. What gets you to do something?
It's because you care. Maybe not directly, but at least indirectly.
You might not care about recording the daily meeting notes while your coworker who usually does it is out sick this week, but you do care about looking like a team player to your supervisor. You care about your upcoming performance review. You care about keeping your job.
But beyond merely caring - there's an emotional response.
I don't mean emotional like dramatic or extra or just flat out over-the-top. I mean you feel something. Either the feeling (however fleeting) is positive, and you're driven to seek more, or it's a negative feeling, and you're driven to avoid it.
Both a positive and a negative emotional response can drive action.
The trick is in getting an emotional response from the reader.
In the example above, the emotional response to your supervisor asking you to record the meeting notes might be positive (excitement, confidence). Maybe your review is coming up, and you want another opportunity to show your team spirit and put you over the top for a raise.
Or it could be a negative response (fear, anxiety) because you're already swamped, and this is one more thing you have to tackle this week.
Either way, you're more likely to get the task of recording meeting notes done this week (and on time) because you had an emotional reaction to the question.
It's easier for a supervisor or manager to get an emotional response just because of the nature of the superior-subordinate organizational structure many of us operate in. My intent is to teach you how to get your peers to respond and act.
When you don't have the luxury of a hierarchical relationship with the reader where you're the leader or "boss," you have to leverage persuasion techniques. You have to give the words you use and the flow of your emails a little more thought.
So, how do you get Marla in Inventory to send you the numbers you need for that report you're supposed to turn in next Tuesday. Mainly, how do you get her to do it in a timely fashion when she's always giving them to you at the last minute (like Monday afternoon)?
You make her feel something. Yeah, you knew that was coming.Knowing why something matters can help spark a feeling. So when you email Marla, make sure you take a second (aka, a couple sentences) to explain what you're asking for and why it's important. Yes, even if this is a report you've been writing for years and she knows why you need the numbers.
You have to help her understand why beyond the report. She needs to connect with you and the request in a positive way. You also want to use words and language that will help her have an emotional reaction.
Here's an example that might look something like your current emails.
Hi Marla,
Can you get me the numbers from January's intake and shipments for the Inventory Report?
Thanks,
Whitney
What would work better.
Hi Marla,
Wow, busy week in operations. I can't believe it's already time to write the January Inventory Report. I am sure you're swamped too, and your time is limited this week.
I would appreciate it if you could send me the Intake and Shipment info by Wednesday morning. That will give me time to get the report written and submitted before the deadline next Tuesday. It's coming up quickly.
Thank you for your help!
Whitney
Ok, you might be a hardcore efficiency person, or perhaps you just haven't ever given the content of your emails much thought. You're wondering, What's so different? Does taking more time to write an email really even make a difference? Maybe the second example seems like a waste of time or inefficient. I would counter this line of thinking with - if one email can do the job of two or more, is that really less efficient?
Now - here's a breakdown of what's different between these two emails and why it matters.
Difference #1 Niceties. Fluff. Relationship building. Empathizing.
Whatever you want to call it. We start the email with a person-to-person connection that is not a request for work. We acknowledge Marla's schedule and draw similarities between us. We might work in different departments/areas/duties, but we are both busy doing our jobs.
This will require you set aside any hard feelings or resentments that may have formed.
Difference #2 We express gratitude before the request and/or with the request. "I would appreciate..."
Gratitude is one of those things that is so much more powerful internally and externally when it's proactive instead of purely reactive. When we express gratitude to someone before they have responded to a request, it makes them feel more positively about responding to our request. Think of it as putting money in the emotional bank before you make a withdrawal.
Difference #3 We are using specific language to convey a sense of urgency and timing.
It is much more compelling to tap into someone's internal sense of time and put the pressure on a bit than to make a request where the timeliness of a response is only implied. Be specific with dates, times, forecasting, etc., to activate that emotional response hot button.
Difference #4 Use words that help hammer in the sense of urgency.
In this example, one of our emotional words is deadline. We are really playing off the feeling that "deadline" elicits by adding a phrase about how it's fast approaching. Not only is this urgency, but it's the feeling like if you aren't careful, you could end up behind the ball. It's that moment of panic from briefly visualizing missing a deadline.
That should be enough information to get you thinking about how you can start writing emails that get shit done.
If you aren't quite convinced yet that any of this matters, I would challenge you to start paying attention to your own emotional responses.
Next time a colleague emails you, read it twice. Once for your initial read-through, then again while trying to take a bird's eye perspective of the feelings you have while reading it. My bet is that you will have very little reaction when you read emails more like the first example unless it comes from a manager or leader. When you read emails from people who write more like the second example, you will feel a difference.
I urge you to try the techniques above for at least a full month. You will get better at writing to elicit an emotional response, and it will feel more natural (and read as more natural) with practice.
Additional resources to help you get started writing emails that get shit done.
Great list of "everyday" Emotion Triggering Words from Sumo.com
Cheatsheet of gratitudes for the work-life hustle to get you in the spirit.
