Get To The Point: The Four-Sentence Email We live in a world where everybody is rushed and pressed for time. People are on the clock, and they want to get things done as quickly as possible.
By Abdulla Barakji •
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We live in a world where everybody is rushed and pressed for time. People are on the clock, and they want to get things done as quickly as possible. When you're at work or trying to hustle your way to the top for your startup, there's no doubt you'll be sending and receiving a bunch of emails on a daily basis. Having said that, you yourself would hate to receive an email that is not straight to the point and mass-generated.
Crafting the "cold call" email
Using the "cold call" email approach is tricky. You have to make sure that you've included everything you want to say in the most concise way possible. You only get one chance at this, so it better be a good email. I recently came up with the idea of a four-sentence email. It includes everything you want to mention in your "cold call" email. Be sure that you're bringing value to the table; if you're not, no one will want to do business with you.
In brief:
When sending emails, keep them as short as possible and straight to the point.
Use a tone that is polite, yet professional enough to be taken seriously.
You should also try to avoid long sentences. A smart way to know if a sentence is long is using the tweet method, which is exactly how it sounds: try to make your sentence 140 characters or less.
Breaking down the email structure, this is how your email should look:
Sentence 1
Introduce yourself in the simplest way possible and include what you do. There's nothing much here to stress on, just keep it simple. A good example would be: "My name is X and I am the founder and CEO of XYZ."
Sentence 2
If there is anything you want to add about yourself or your business, this is your chance. This could be used to enhance your credibility (and not sound like a spammer). Bring up an achievement that sounds familiar to the reader. A good example sounds like: "We recently sponsored events A, B, and C in Dubai."
Sentence 3
Use this sentence to get straight to the point with what you offer. If the reader went this far, they might be interested. Take this chance to show them what value your services bring and that dealing with you is a good idea. This is your sales pitch, show them that your service is a need and not a want.
Sentence 4
This is where you wrap up with a call-to-action. By now, the reader is engaged and interested. Try to make the process of going forward easy. Don't add any complications. Just a simple action required to take the next step.
