I was notified by the city a few months ago that our trash pickup day was changing, from Monday to Wednesday. There was something in the mail, plus an email.
Yet on Monday morning the week of the switch, at least two-thirds of the neighbors had their trash cans out. I bumped into one of them on Tuesday as he was wheeling his full can back in and told him about the new schedule. He asked me how I found out.
Having so often been on the writing and sending side of communications like these, I always read them. Utilities, schools, coaches – you name it. I’m not going to be the one who misses that registration deadline or the urgent request for candy canes for the end-of-semester class party.
But we know that’s not the case for most people. We’re lucky if our email gets opened, let alone read. You’re probably not even reading this.
It’s on us as communicators to do what we can to entice our audience to read.
Start by asking why you’re sending it. Is it because it’s something the reader wants or needs to know? If so, make that as clear as possible up front.
Often, we write or send things to push information we want to say, not what the reader wants to hear. There can be good reasons for this. But if it’s the case, then the challenge is to say it in a way that spells out “what’s in it for me” and makes it relevant.
Otherwise, it goes straight in the trash (which gets picked up on Wednesdays now, in case you didn’t know).