Money Rehab with Nicole Lapin - “Per this Episode” Don’t Make these Email Mistakes

Episode Date: July 14, 2021

If you’re one to “per your last email, circle back and hope the email finds you well”… just don’t. Instead, use these six tips to send an email that will actually get you a response. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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No, I never have. You think the whole world revolves around you and your money. Well, it doesn't. Charge for wasting our time. I will take a check. Like an old school check. You recognize her from anchoring on CNN, CNBC, and Bloomberg. The only financial expert you don't need a dictionary to understand.

Nicole Lappin. Email has been around long enough that it's hard to believe that people still need tips on how to write an effective one. But you'd be shocked how many people send me emails that are vague, unhelpful, flat out, unprofessional, or all of the above. Don't be that guy. Don't be that girl. As you know, a lot of our episodes are focused around listener submitted questions, but there are some things that you don't know you don't know. And I feel a responsibility as the pilot of your money rehab journey to tell you these things. Think of this as your friend telling you when you got something in your teeth. And I'm here to tell you these things. Think of this as your friend telling you when you got something in your teeth. And I'm here to tell you that you probably have some word spinach stuck in your

email smiley faces. So here are six tips you can use today to send an email people actually want to respond to. Number one, write a super clear subject line. Duh, it's the first thing anyone will see, so make it count. We all open emails mostly based on the subject line, or at least we use it to decide which one we open first. Use something specific, accurate, and direct, like recommendations for the press kit, or Wednesday morning meeting canceled with little stars around it. And don't ever let me catch you writing urgent if it's not. If you're following up with a person you just met, use their name in the subject line. Like, do you ever notice how marketers use that to entice you

to open their solicitations because it really pops out like they do know you? They do that because it works. Try something like, great to meet you, comma, Ellen, in the subject line. If the contact is a little more on the personal side rather than a potential hirer, I like to think of something catchy and super clickable like, awesome, in all caps, to dot, dot, dot, in the subject line and the first line of the email saying dot dot dot meet you. Number two, avoid tropey email speak. If you're one to purr your last email, circle back and hope this email finds you well. Please don't. I know it feels easier to just be on autopilot and fill in your emails with the standard email jargon. But after a while,

your coworkers will feel like an email from you is just a game of Mad Libs you played filling in the blanks of a new email with the same old corporate email lingo, and no one wants to read that. According to a report from Ladders, saying overused things like, I hope this email finds you well, can feel beginner and immature. I recommend leveling up your language by keeping it as simple as, I hope your day is going well, or feel free to get creative and personalize the message. If you know, let's say they live in New York, say something along the lines of, I've been reading that New York is opening up again, and I hope you've been able to stay safe and enjoy some of the return to normalcy. Or mention something that

you know they've been working on, like congratulations on the new show called Money Rehab. I listened to the first episode. I loved it. I gave it five stars. I wrote a glowing review, and I right away ordered cupcakes from Baked by Melissa after Melissa Beneshe's episode, for example. Also, you probably won't ever need to hit someone with the per my last email. It's one of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to email, because it comes across as passive-aggressive and closed off. No one wants to work with someone like that.

If you feel like you're throwing that line in because you're annoyed that your coworker didn't read your last email carefully enough and you want them to feel sloppy, well, it probably won't work. And do you actually want them to feel that way? Is that actually helpful for you in achieving your goals? I don't think so. The only time I've been tempted to make an exception is a scenario in which your boss is jumping down your throat asking you why you haven't sent that thing you already sent three times. Been there. Even in that case, I wouldn't do a per my last email. Instead, I would give your boss a call and say, I sent you what you were looking for earlier today, but I'm happy to walk you through it now. Yes, phones actually work that way. Your phone is not broken when it starts ringing. Bonus points if you prove that you're a critical problem solver and throw in

something like, it seems like sending you this information over email wasn't a perfect system. If there's a different way I can get you this information in the future, please let me know. Hold on to your wallets, boys and girls. Money rehab will be right back. Now for some more money rehab. Number three, chill with the exclamation points. With your friends, sure, go exclamation point crazy, but keep it classy at work or you'll come across looking childish or immature. I know you are so excited by all the amazing work you're doing, but keep that excitement to yourself and show it with only one little but very powerful exclamation point. Number four, nix the wimpy wording. It's important

to come across as confident at work. A side note for us ladies out there, this is especially a tall order for us. As we know all too well, the workplace has historically been a hotbed for discrimination. Today we've inherited these voices in our heads from generations of workplace inequality. And every time we go to write an email, these voices whisper, hmm, are you coming off a little too strong? You don't want your coworker to feel threatened. Not all men appreciate that coming from a woman. Because of these annoying voices of yesteryear, women are more likely to write things like,

so sorry to nudge, just wanted to ask a question. But don't get me wrong. It's not just women. I see it all the time apologizing for something that doesn't actually warrant an apology. It is super common in workplace culture. Oftentimes, I feel like people confuse it as a sign of respect. But you need to think about what you're projecting to those around you

about who you are, even when you're not face-to-face. Whatever the core reason, saying you're sorry all the time makes you seem self-conscious. I promise you that you can get your point across clearly, quickly, confidently, and respectfully without using the filler word sorry. So instead of saying something like, so sorry to bother you, but did you check out the report? Say something like, did you get a chance to check out the report? See? It's gentle and not pushy. And even if you do have a reason to apologize, like you're late on responding to an email, instead of apologies for the delay, say something like, thank you so much for your patience, or thank you so much for your patience or thank you so much for following up. Number five, come up with your signature sign-off. A ton of emails are signed best comma your name or best regards or regards,

which is fine, but know you can be more original than that. Whatever you choose for your signature signature, be consistent. Mine, for instance, is always warmest, comma, Nicole. And that is also up for grabs if you so fancy that. Number six, add the email addresses after you've checked your work. Oh yeah, I have totally been there and I'm sure you have too. You start drafting an email and you don't finish it before you accidentally push send, especially if you have a few different email draft windows open all at once. Definitely have been guilty of that. It's not the end of the world, but it's not the best practice at work to have to send yet another note to explain why you were typing too fast. It just gives off the slightest whiff of sloppiness

and that's the kind of perception you do not want. The foolproof way to avoid this snafu is to get into the habit of adding the email addresses of the recipient last. If you're replying to a message, delete the recipient address before you start drafting it and then add it back in later. But before you do add the emails back in, take a beat, reread the email from the beginning. God forbid you use the wrong spelling of there, but also double check that you included everything you needed to say. If you sent a list, let's say, of tasks or follow-up items, did you remember all of them? Did you give all the details needed for a meeting? Sure, something else might come up and you might

need to add some more specifics in or change others later, but try to avoid the, hey me again, email cloggers. For today's tip, you can take straight to the bank. Quadruple check before you reply all. Emails with a ton of people copied on them can be super annoying, especially if everyone keeps hitting reply all with reactions or things that aren't relevant to you and clog up your email inbox. You might not be able to be the change, so to speak here, but you can at least refuse to contribute to the email thread disease by replying only to the person or people who actually need to know this information. And if you want to test out your new email skills and show off your new email signature, shoot us a note, moneyrehab

at nicolelapin.com. We always love to hear from you! Exclamation point! Money Rehab is a production of iHeartMedia. I'm your host, Nicole Lappin. Our producers are Morgan Lavoie and Catherine Law. Money Rehab is edited and engineered by Brandon Dickert with help from Josh Fisher. Executive producers are Mangesh Hatikader and Will Pearson. Huge thanks to the OG Money Rehab supervising producer, Michelle Lanz, for her pre-production and development work. And as always, thanks to you for finally investing in yourself so that you can get it together and get it all. money, money, money, money, money, money.