So, right out of the gate, I want to talk about emails. You just can’t seem to live without them. I use them to communicate with friends or even future friends. But I got to thinking about why I choose to open one email over another. It comes down to the subject line. You know, the line that tells you what’s on the inside. There are principles of communication at work, whether you’re a verbal or electronic communicator.
Those smarter than me will tell you that if you don’t grab your audience’s attention within the first few minutes, you’ll be hard-pressed to maintain their attention later. The beginning is always the key to engagement. So, effective pastors and other communicators spend time crafting their introductions. It often involves laying out the game plan of the message in the first few minutes. But, it always involves an engaging illustration or “hook” that intrigues the listener. It makes them want to listen further. If this is true with verbal communication, it is even more critical with electronic communication. You don’t have minutes to grab their attention; you only have seconds. Therein is the power and importance of the subject line.
I couldn’t help but think of a poignant story in the Bible. The Widow’s Mite is a Bible story about a widow who gives two small copper coins to the temple treasury. Here’s the gist of the story. A rich dude puts a bunch of money into the treasury. Makes a big deal of it. Next, a poor widow puts in two copper coins. The equivalent today would be roughly 1/8 of a cent. Then Jesus gets the disciple’s attention with this statement: Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; Luke 21:3. Say what!!!!! You’ve got my attention, Jesus. What do you mean? The rich dude gave out of his abundance, but she gave all she had…it actually counted for more. When you speak, write, or even email, make it count. Grab their attention. Make it worth their while to listen. You won’t be disappointed, but more importantly, they won’t either.