When you write an email, how do you start your subject line? Do you use words like “～ついて（about）” or “～の件（regarding）”? These words are vague and don’t tell the reader what your email is really about. You should try to avoid them as much as possible, or use them with more specific details. For example, look at the difference between these subject lines:
JOHNI don’t get it.
- 先日の研修について（Feedback on the recent training session）
- 一般社団法人日本ビジネスメール協会について（Membership update from Japan Business Email Association）
- 株式会社ABCへの営業について（Sales report for ABC Co., Ltd.）
- ご依頼について（Response to your inquiry）
- 出社時間について（Work schedule for next week）
- 経理処理について（Accounting procedures and deadlines）
Subject lines like these are too vague and don’t tell you what the email is really about. Before you open them, you might wonder: Some possible continuations are:
- Which training session are you referring to? What kind of feedback are you looking for?
- What are you interested in learning about the Japan Business Email Association?
- What does the sales report for i-Communication Co., Ltd. include? What aspects of the sales performance do you want to discuss?
- Did you send me an inquiry? What is your question or concern?
- What do you want to ask (or tell) me about your work schedule?
- What do you want to ask (or tell) me about the accounting procedures and deadlines?
If your subject line is too vague, even if it tells the “what”, it doesn’t tell the “why”. You won’t know what the email is about until you open it. You will have to unwrap the mystery and read through it to figure it out. This will waste the recipient’s time and energy.
When you open it and read it, you might find out that it was not urgent or important. If that happens, you might feel annoyed that you opened it, that you could have ignored it for later, or that the sender is careless and doesn’t give you enough information. To avoid this, you should use a clear and specific subject line like this:
DAISUKEThese are correct for us.
- ビジネスメール研修（2/4）感想のお知らせ（Feedback request for the business email training (2/4)）
- 一般社団法人日本ビジネスメール協会との業務提携についてご相談（Inquiry about the business partnership with Japan Business Email Association (NPO)）
- 株式会社AAAへの見積もり確認依頼（Quotation approval request from AAA Co., Ltd.）
- 研修プログラム作成のご相談（Discussion on developing training programs）
- 出社時間変更のご連絡（Notice of work schedule change）
- 経理処理の新規ご提案（New suggestion for accounting procedures）
The difference is clear when you compare them. You can tell what the email is about without opening it. Getting the main idea will help you read and understand faster. Knowing what is expected of you will make it easier to act. A specific subject line not only affects how many people open your email, but also how well you communicate with them.
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