How to Write Compelling Emails in an Emerging AI World

Many people have been writing emails and texts since middle school. Your audience was interested in what you had to say. And your audience was small. Today, your audience is desperate to delete, defer or ignore you.

You are reading this blog at the beginning of an Artificial Intelligence Era. We have written that one of the critical elements of this era is that audiences won’t trust what they see and hear. Trust combined competence will be increasingly valued and rare. (Stybel Peabody, 2024).

In their book Micro Skills, Adaira Landry and Resa Lewiss state that most professionals read emails five hours a day. 65% of email messages are ignored (2024). This figure is only going to increase as AI use increases.

Starting Your Email or Text:

Begin your headline with a word that will grab immediate attention: the reader’s name. For example:

“Mary, Your Summary of the Team’s February 20^th Meeting.”

Begin your first sentence by focusing on your readers’ favorite obsession: themselves. For example, “Mary, I hope you had a nice weekend” or “Mary, I hope you and your family are coping with this cold weather.”

Facebook and LinkedIn can provide you with the birthdates of key business connections. Add this information to your online calendar. For example, “Ann, I am sorry I missed sending you a birthday greeting two weeks ago.”

Your Second Paragraph

The second paragraph should give the reader an executive overview. For example, “Last Thursday, the team focused on how we can reduce paperwork for intake screening. Below are some key ideas.”

Another example is, “Henry, I want to introduce you to Julia since I think the two of you could be helpful to each other in solving customer complaints.”

The Body of Your Message

You now arrive at the main body of your email. When composing text, assume your reader is not reading. Assume the reader is skimming your text on a computer screen.

Skimming means focusing on short paragraphs.

Pointing out key ideas in a bulleted list is helpful. We recommend limiting key bullets to three. That is attractive for skimming and forces you to focus on what is essential. criticalIf you list 15 bullets, the reader may skim past the most important ideas.

Beware of Autocorrect

Your computer corrects for typos and misspellings. Remember, autocorrect may not be correct. Before pressing “send,” thoroughly read your email and ensure the words on the screen are appropriate.

When finished writing an important text, we recommend waiting 24 hours. Review your letter before pressing “Send.”

Keep the Tone of Your Letter Professional

Emails and texts strip emotion out of content. Landry and Lewiss state that women use emoticons, emojis, punctuation, and GIFs more than men. They recommend women avoid such insertions.

Assume you are angry and want to let the offending person know you are angry. We recommend you express your outrage in writing and then wait 24 hours.

Review the document. If you still feel angry, arrange a 1:1 in-person visit or a phone call. Do not send out an angry email.

An email or a text is a one-way communication vehicle. It is not a vehicle for conversation. And conversation is what you need.

Another reason to avoid sending email is that once you press “send,” you have no control over its future distribution. We live in a litigation-oriented society. When crafting emails at work, assume that opposing lawyers will subpoena your email to become part of a future record against you or your employer.

Limit the Use of “Reply All”

As a courtesy to your information information-overload colleagues, try to focus on sending your emails only to those who need to receive them. Ask your supervisor if she wants to be copied on “everything,” specific topics, or only when “necessary.”

How to End Your Email:

You want to create a reputation for being trustworthy, courteous, curious, and open to new ideas. One way to end an email would be to write, “I would welcome your perspective about this matter” or “I am open to your suggestions and reactions.”

Artificial Intelligence Essential Reads

4 Steps to Overcome AI-Induced Imposter Syndrome

The AI Oscillation Trap: Stuck Between AI and Autonomy

You may have been writing emails and texts since childhood. You are now operating in a professional environment at the beginning of the AI era. You may have to unlearn some successful email techniques that have worked well for you.