Pretty much every professional email should end with a call to action, followed or preceded by an acknowledgement of the reader. You both want to make clear what your expectations for response are, and should try to motivate your reader to provide that response.
Consider the following tips for crafting an effective call to action:
- Be clear about the form and timing of the response you want. This might require asking specific questions in an easy-to-read format (for example, it's typically easier to answer a question such as "are you available to meet this Friday at any time?" than it is to answer the question "When are you available to meet?", which requires more thought and research on the reader's part). If you need a response by a specific time or date, that should be clearly stated. And if there are options or precedents that may affect the reader's choice, these should be made available to the reader (for instance, if t-shirts only come in packs of 10, then readers should know that when asked how many t-shirts they want to order).
- If an online resource is referenced, provide a link to it in your email; don't expect the reader to search for it online on their own. If forms need to be filled out, or if there are relevant documents to assist the reader in taking the next step, all of these should be provided as links or attachments.
- Be friendly and thankful throughout your message, and especially at the end where you remind the reader of the call to action. This might be achieved by simply changing your complimentary closing to "Thank you," or it might involve a sentence or two (such as "Thank you for taking the time to address my request; I look forward to hearing your response next week."). And it's not necessarily all about the length of the response; once someone fulfills your request, a quick "Thank you!" can be just as effective as a longer email in showing your appreciation.
