On a pretty regular basis those who I communicate with comment on how I take the time to use the Subject: field differently than most they e-mail with. The difference is I consider the Subject: field as the first part of my e-mail and not an afterthought as most who rush typing cryptic thoughts into that field. By putting priority on this field, I hope to help set the tone and let the recipient know what to expect.
What many do is type generic phrases into the Subject field that could apply to pretty much to any e-mail. Keep in mind that by taking the time to type a Subject: that is specific to that e-mail, you allow the other side to know without question what you are contacting them about. Do so can’t help but add clarity to your communications, right?
I also take the liberty of adding the following before my subject text to the Subject: field that also helps to set expectations:
FOLLOW UP:
FYI:
QUESTION:
UPDATE:
Another effective strategy I use is when replying to an inquiry I use: REPLY:. Then, as the conversation goes on, I change that to say REPLY [2], REPLY [3], etc. Doing this helps both sides keep the conversation in order when organizing e-mails by the Subject: in their e-mail folders.
You get the idea… And it only takes a few extra keystrokes! By adding to the Subject: field as noted above, I help the other side know what I am looking for. This little extra effort lends to better organization for all involved too!
HTH!
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I believe Attaching a Serial Number to the replies may be a little offending to the reader. Yes, if I get the same inquiry as “2nd Inquiry ” in subject line, i strongly believe to reply as “reply 2″ ….Sometimes Mirroring impacts a lot. Thanks.
Hey, Manish:
I think if someone is “offended” because I start numbering the back-n-forths for the sake of organization they are overly sensitive. You are right, mirroring is how we learn and can have a positive impact. Thanks for sharing!