E-mail Subject Lines
I spend a lot of time answering queries via e-mail. I receive about 100 e-mails a day, including the few discussion lists I’m on, news alerts, and unsolicited e-mail. Many of my clients are remote and conduct their business with me via e-mail.
E-mails without good subject lines are quickly becoming a pet peeve. In this day of certain e-mail viruses, I’m still surprised at how many people send e-mails with no subject lines, “Hello” in the subject line, or some other text similar to what e-mail viruses generate. It helps me a lot if inquirers use very descriptive subject lines. I’m probably not the only person who looks at a subject line to determine whether and when to open an e-mail. I get so much unsolicited e-mail and e-mails containing viruses that I regularly use the “when in doubt, throw it out” principle. I delete many questionable e-mails without opening them, regardless of the risk of missing a valid inquiry. I still feel an obligation to at least glance at every e-mail, though. I almost deleted a valid inquiry without a subject line today. Is there some way to communicate to people the importance of e-mail subject lines?
