As Attorney Ruth Carter states in her recent AttorneyAtWork.com article, lawyers are professional communicators and often exchange emails with clients and opposing counsel – hoping to get their emails opened, read, and responded to promptly.
Carter has a few tips for those lawyers wanting to sharpen their email skills:
- Enclose the first words of the email’s subject in brackets.
“This increases the open rate. For some of my (Carter) clients, I’ve started using “[Response Needed]” at the beginning of the subject line so it will stand out in their inbox.”
- Try using the word “because.”
“This word is an automatic compliance trigger. The reader is likely to assume whatever you’re saying is logical and accept it.”
- Try using the word “you.”
“Focus on the reader and what’s in it for them. We frequently need information or documents from our clients. When I (Carter) find myself starting a sentence with “I need,” I think about how I might rephrase it to focus on the client’s perspective or desired outcome.”
To read more tips on how to get your emails opened, read Carter’s article here.