Your customers likely have dozens of emails in their inbox right now that they haven’t read because the headline just isn’t a grabber. And there will eventually be a house cleaning of the unread using the delete key.

Sound familiar?

Email is an excellent tool for communicating with customers and prospects. In fact, while Facebook, Twitter, Tik Tok and other platforms are today’s social media darlings, experts say the use of email is still the No. 1 digital promotional method. The only problem: How do you get people to read and respond? The solution is grabbing the recipient’s attention and making it easy for them to respond.

Topping of the list of musts is a powerful subject line. If it’s not clear and compelling, the email will likely head to the trash. A good subject line can be the edge that gets people to read and act. At the same time, if the subject isn’t of real interest to the recipient, the message is doomed. In fact, if we’re sending emails knowing the recipients will not likely be interested, we are shooting ourselves in the foot. That’s because we build an impression in the recipient’s mind that our emails contain nothing they’re looking for — hitting “delete” becomes automatic.

Next, put the proposition right up front, in the first or second line of the email body. When we talk with people face-to-face, we usually tend to provide some background that sets up our proposition. But in an email, that’s a sure route to the trash. If an exciting subject line has gotten the recipient to open the email, it’s critical that the key proposition be at the top so the recipient doesn’t check out before ever getting the point. (I do it all the time.)

Do not accept the flawed thinking that the recipient needs to read the message context before understanding and being convinced to take action. Lay it on the line up front. If the opening paragraph doesn’t catch the attention, it will likely be all that’s read.

Keep the writing simple. Experts, including authorities writing in the Harvard Business Review, offer advice worth following. Always write in the active, not a passive, voice. Many writers mistakenly believe using passive voice is more formal, but it’s most often boring.

• passive voice: “Mistakes were made.”

• active voice: “We made mistakes.”

Similarly, never use terms like “I think” or “I feel.” They show indecision and won’t move anyone to doing anything.

Finally, keep it short. You know most people don’t spend a lot of time to read long emails. Get to the point. The goal is to get to your key offer or message across as rapidly and clearly as possible.

Bottom line: Email is an inexpensive, effective tool that should be part of every dealer’s marketing effort. Expend little extra effort to ensure messages are well-written and carefully distributed to customers and prospects who would likely be interested in the information and an attractive proposition.

Turbines in Lake Erie Again

The push to industrialize Lake Erie with wind turbines seems never-ending, and efforts are now ramping up in Pennsylvania.

When Ohio’s controversial “Ice Breaker” proposal that aimed to place turbines off Cleveland was ultimately shelved after considerable opposition, it was hoped the issue of turbines in the lakes was dead.

Not so fast.

Last week, the Pennsylvania House passed a bill that would allow for the lease of land in Lake Erie for building turbines. Democratic state Rep. Bob Merski, whose district is on the lake, says his legislation — which passed the House along party lines — opens the issue in the Keystone State as a path to “sustainable economic growth.” But it ignores the negative economic impacts being revealed worldwide, as well as the negative environmental impact anticipated. The bill now heads to the full state senate for consideration.

Boating and fishing interests, including the Ohio Marine Trades Association and leading organizations such as the Lake Erie Foundation (I am a member) are on record opposing the construction of any turbines anywhere on Lake Erie. They’ve successfully battled the issue for more than a decade.

Meanwhile in New York, which also borders Lake Erie, the issue of turbines has become a hot-button as a number of municipalities in Chautauqua and Erie counties have gone on record opposing the placement of such structures in the Great Lakes and continue to call attention to the false claims used to “sell” turbine construction in these precious fresh waters.

The battle to protect 22% of the world’s fresh water continues.