How to get a portfolio manager’s attention, and other email tips from an investment marketing consultant

It’s not easy getting portfolio managers to open your emails. That’s why investment marketing consultant Jen Dunning sometimes writes her email subject lines completely in capital letters.

“INVESTMENT COMMENTARY – PLEASE APPROVE BY JUNE 30” grabs the reader’s attention where a meeker “Please approve by June 30” would not. Note that she puts her key action verb, “approve,” and its object, “investment commentary,” in the subject line. That also boosts her emails’ effectiveness.

But limit your use of all-capitals subject lines to rare instances of pressing need with people who work for your own organization. You risk irritating your recipient if you use all-caps too often. It flouts the rules of email etiquette and is considered “shouting.”

Some additional email tips from Dunning:

• Save your pleasantries for the end of your email because busy readers want to get to the point right away
• Before you attach an Excel file, name it and insert page breaks and headers and footers, including page numbers and total number of pages