Are you applying for a job, looking to contact an important client, or simply hoping for a quick response to your questions? Focus on these two words that will directly capture the attention of your interlocutor.
Between a full inbox and various priorities, it often happens that certain emails get missed. To counter this phenomenon and ensure that your messages are read, processed and returned, a study reveals that two little words would encourage your interlocutor to respond more.
To make an email relevant and get a quick response, you have to pay attention to all the details, both in the choice of keywords in the subject and the content but also in the way of concluding! An American study carried out on more than 350,000 emails and approved by Journal of Personality and Social Psychologydemonstrated that certain formulas used at the end of the email significantly increased your chances of obtaining a response. Eight conclusion formulas stand out and one in particular has the highest response rate.
Indeed, the results show that the use of the concluding formula “best regards” gives a response rate of 52.9%. This is the least effective formula for a response… The words “greetings” (53.5%) and “cordially” (53.9%) come just above. But then what to use for a better guaranteed response rate? On the third step of the podium, we find the formula “thank you very much” (57.9%) while the second step is occupied by a sober but still effective “thank you” (63%). The two words to use at the end of the email to ensure a response are therefore “thanks in advance” (65.7%).
On average, emails without these particular formulas achieved only 47.5% responses. This then showed that expressions expressing gratitude played a crucial role in capturing the recipient’s attention.
Results which were also confirmed by a study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Led by Adam M. Grant and Francesca Gino, this research involved 69 university students divided into two groups. Participants received an email asking for help writing a cover letter. In the first group, the messages ended with a thank you sentence, while in the second, they concluded in a neutral manner.
Result ? Emails containing thanks doubled the chance of receiving a response. The researchers concluded that a simple expression of gratitude could create a feeling of appreciation and encourage immediate action.
