What your emails reveal about you

Argh, feedback!

We all say we want it.

But people hate giving it.

So here’s a quick technique to check how you come across to other people (courtesy of copywriter supremo Ann Handley.)  

Look at the last email you sent and ask yourself:  

If this were the only email someone received from me and they didn’t know anything about me:

1. What would they think of me?

2. How would they describe me?

It’s such a good test to see how other people might perceive you.

Could people think you’re:

• Stuffy and old-fashioned? (‘I hope this email finds you well…’)

• Disorganised and sloppy? (‘Sorry for the brain dump but...’)

• Timid and permission-seeking? (‘Please can you send me your feedback but no worries if you’re too busy!’)

Or did your email accurately reflect how you want to be seen in that moment?  

Remember trust is built through consistency – we need to sound the same in our messages as we do in person.  

For a savvy second opinion, AI is your go-to. Try this simple prompt:

If you received this email from me and didn’t know anything about me, what impression would it give you of me as a person and [colleague/partner/supplier etc.]?

List:

• the positive traits the email suggests

• the negative traits the email might suggest

• the words or phrases that create those impressions

• one small change that would strengthen the impression I want to give

I tried this on a client email and Claude told me I was:

‘Calm and pragmatic and collaborative, but a touch cautious.’ It made me think about powering up my recommendations next time.

So go on – be brave and tell me: what do your emails say about you? What results come back with this prompt? I’d love to know!