It's always refreshing to read an email that you're not having to chew through like an old piece of mutton, yet many of us struggle to inject energy into our everyday correspondence with clients and colleagues. Even if your subject is typically quite dry (and perhaps, especially so), the content need not be. Here are some essential tips on how to write great emails that people will want to read.

Use Textural Adjectives

Reading tactile or textural words stimulates a different part of our brains - so using them makes your message more memorable. Words like 'gritty',' smoothly', 'etched', 'dense', 'rough' really draw attention and have more substance than 'difficult', 'complicated' or' easily'.

Provoke a Response

Invite your readers to think! Ask them a question that demands reflection, or grab their attention with a controversial perspective which you can self-denounce or back up. e.g., 'The majority of Millenials are 'snowflakes' - or so many would say; but dig a little deeper, and we find that they are carrying the heaviest burden from previous generations… '

Embolden Key Points.

People tend to 'skim' content. If a particular point catches their interest, they will go back to the beginning of that paragraph and read it properly. For this reason, it's important to emphasise the key messages of each section with italics and bold font to draw attention to it and let your readers choose to dig deeper into your content.

A Striking Headline that Grabs Attention

Headlines are not just for sales copy. Whether it's a quick email or a report of biblical proportions, you want the reader to engage with what you're taking time to write. Even if a necessary title restricts your creative exploits, (e.g. 'Acme/Wonka Industries Joint Forward Plan'), you can still provide a subheading that will grab your reader's attention. (Queue 'Chocolate Explosion' tagline …if you are old enough to remember the cartoons:).

…and a Powerful Close

The tail wags the dog - at least it does in business content. Your' tail', or closing paragraph, is a summary of the whole piece, and the final chance to convince readers to take up your Call to Action (e.g., respond, book, enquire, buy). Don't let a great email go out with a whimper; pay attention to what you intend to achieve and reinforce that message in closing. If you have grabbed your reader's intention with the body, the tail should be a cinch. Of course, most of us do not have time to create perfect prose when writing to the masses in our everyday correspondence. Still, a great email just needs a little care and attention to your choice of words to show that you are mindful of your reader's time and interest. And of course, it will also raise their perception of you as an interesting, read-worthy correspondent who's worth their time.