You can have the most brilliant, compelling e-mail messages ever created, but if no one bothers to read them, they don't do much for your bottom line. Here are several visual and contextual tricks you can implement immediately (and for no cost!) to make sure the e-mail you send to prospects and clients gets read ...

Everyone is drowning in spam. As a result, people tend to make instant decisions as to which e-mail's they read. And if they don't recognize the sender of any particular message, the chances of it ever being read are slim to none. That is, unless you can create a subject line that is so compelling it can't be ignored.

There are a number of visual and contextual cues you can incorporate into your subject lines that will make them stand up and shout "Read Me!" Here are some of the more effective ones:

• Use Special Leading Characters - what many people don't realize is that you can use any keyboard characters within your subject lines. Make your subject lines stand out from the crowd by creating your own "signature style" of subject line using a number of special characters. Some possibilities include "~~~", "|||", ":o)", "@@@", etc. Avoid using dollar signs or exclamation points as they may be interpreted as being from a spammer.
• Capitalized Certain Words - while you can't control the recipient's subject line font style, you can make certain words appear larger. Using all-caps and spaces between the letters of a particular word can make it stand out and look larger (avoid doing this with the whole subject line however).
• Ask An Open-Ended Question - as human beings we are "hard-wired" to stop and consider open-ended questions (verses quickly dismissing "yes or no" type questions). When used in an appropriate context, this will cause a recipient to stop and consider your message.
• Use An Ellipsis - an ellipsis "…" at the end of your subject line is a powerful contextual cue that says "there is more to follow".
• Make Your Subject Lines "Pop Out" - by using extra trailing spaces and end characters, your subject lines will "pop out" for recipients who use either Microsoft Outlook 2000 / XP, or Outlook Express. When their cursor passes over the subject line section of their message list, those that are too long to fit will pop out like a tool tip. This can be a very dramatic way to have your message grab their attention.

Just CLICK HERE to see examples of all of these techniques. Now, some messages are more important than others. Here is how you might structure the most important subject line you will ever use.

The Critical "First Response" Subject Line

When a prospect sends you an e-mail inquiring about a particular property, how you respond to them is critical if you want to convert their "click" into a closed transaction. I've written extensively about the structure of this "first-response" reply (see the Ask Mr. Internet article "To Win You Have To Know The Rules" which cover the content of first response message). However, if they don't even open the message because a) they don't remember who you are, or b) your subject line was anything but compelling (or worse, an instant turnoff), then your chance of turning them into a client is nil.

To overcome this dilemma, some creative attendees at a recent speaking event came up with a great suggestion for a powerful and compelling first response subject line. It includes the use of leading special attention-getting characters, followed by the property street address in all caps, followed by a statement that this message contains the info they requested, an ellipsis, then a string of spaces ending with your name as the sender. CLICK HERE to see an example of how this looks.

The reason this works is that in addition to standing out visually, the recipient is more likely to remember a particular property they looked at online than the agent to whom they sent the request. And, because it is property focused, they are also likely to view the message as legitimate and less threatening or intrusive.

E-mail is still the most powerful online tool for connecting and creating relationships with people —if you can get their attention long enough to read your valuable message. You now have the tools to do that which, by the way, didn't cost you a dime! Start your habit of incorporating powerful and compelling subject lines by creating your own "signature style" and use it consistently. You will find that many more of those prospect clicks will indeed turn into closes.