I was once tested to be a presenter on TV. Nothing dramatic, just the occasional few seconds on local news giving brief bits of information to people who were not really interested. We were given a list of things to consider. They were not necessarily what you might think would concern a presenter.

I did everything wrong initially. Despite having shaved in the morning, about 10 minutes before the test I went off and shaved again, even to the extent patting on a little bit of aftershave. Yes, I know, I hadn’t quite cracked the medium.
 
I was told that I looked too pristine. Oddly enough, it was a look I was trying for; not only had I ironed a shirt specially for the presentation but had only put it on after I had shaved the second time. The very pleasant videographer said I looked scary. Viewers, it seemed, wanted somebody who was so confident in their ability that they did not have try too hard. Most remarkably, I was told I should not have overdressed as it was essential that the viewers could relate to me within the first few seconds.

How can you put over the same feeling in a marketing email, especially as you have only a few words to do it with? One way is to be informal. I was told to smile and say Hi! You might think the smile is a bit beyond you, but it can be inferred from the nature of the copy and, if you pick them with care, the images. The whole tenor of the email, from colours and overall design, should be bright, cheery and give the impression of muted confidence.

A casual and careless impression, whether you are appearing on video or an email, is something that takes study and practice. You surely belong to other email marketing lists, so read them carefully, identifying those which make you feel you might like the person at the other end. That’s the image we all should be aiming for.

Don’t preach, don’t tell, don’t try and impose your feelings on your subscribers. Get them to relate to you.