As PR professionals, we’re constantly sending limitless emails between pitches, client updates, assignments to colleagues and much more. Before hitting send, there are always a few quick thoughts that should go through your head.
- Check for grammar and spelling mistakes
- Insert a subject line that is short and concise, most importantly compelling if it’s a pitch
- Personalize the email
- Address the relevancy of the email to that person (why should this person care?)
- State action items/deadlines if appropriate
- Check hyperlinks
- Include your signature at the bottom of the note
What do you think of before hitting send?
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Comments
Our company uses gmail server and there is an enable ‘unsend’ option in settings… can’t tell you how many embarrassing mistakes this has saved me from– grammar mistakes, addressing it to the wrong person, forgetting links. It definitely pays to check your messages over carefully!
If it’s a pitch, I think: “Is this NEWS?” That’s the big thing, beyond relevancy to someone’s beat or blog; it’s the ‘WIIFM’ their audience will ask, so making sure I send something worth reading.
And yes, checking and rechecking facts and grammar and spellings. Also, formatting can help; if you’re pitch is a “3 tips” list, then using heads, bold, bullets appropriately can make an email easier and quicker to read. In that respect, skip the crazy colors and cutesy fonts – make it clean, professional. FWIW.
I always double check attachments. If I say a document is attached, then I make sure it actually is! Nothing feels worse than sending a “see attached file” email … with no attached file.