Write Your Emails Like a Soldier in the FieldMar 15, 2015 119Views 13Likes 1Comment Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on Google Plus Share on TwitterImagine yourself being a soldier in Vietnam, long before cell phones, social media, and video chat were invented. The only way you would have been able to communicate with family and friends was via snail mail.Replies meant that your base cared about you, that you were still in the game even if it had been months since you saw your people last. Of course your family would never forget you but what about your girlfriend? Was maybe another guy trying to score with her and promising her bigger and better things? And, what about your buddies from school? Were they pushing their careers and maybe forgetting about you?Considering that there was not going to be an opportunity for a face-to-face meeting anytime soon, youd weigh each word carefully. Youd brag a bit about heroic acts while at the same time youd assure everybody that you were with a great team, that you had the very best support in case things got tight. You would write about your platoon and describe how they contributed. Also, knowing that each letter might be your last one, youd make certain that you wrote how much you thought and cared about your loved ones.Most certainly, youd never write platitudes, because every single word was part of shaping the life you would enjoy if you made it out of the jungle.In 2003 Donald Trump told Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor, to forget his Amazons and Africas; in Trumps opinion New York was the real jungle. Together they went on to produce The Apprentice. The shows candidates wrote letters too, only these were emails. They too weighed every word carefully; surely none of them wanted to get caught forgetting to put something important in writing,There are many more similarities between the war in this jungle and in that jungle. Not surprisingly, The Art of War by Sun Tzu has become a cult book for business leaders. There are many parallelisms between the two, like focusing on the task at hand. Everybody has to succeed with his own mission and not worry about some distant front.Todays business emails are as important as the US troops letters to their loved ones and friends; they are the building blocks for our future in business. Therefore Never send a canned email. They hardly ever lead to exceptional success, just like military awards and decorations arent given for doing canned actions. Mention your team, often. Nobody believes that a lone wolf can be successful forever. Write often to stay in touch. Everybody likes to read a friendly email for no reason, instead of only being asked for care packages. Make each word count! When writing important emails apply Steve Jobs' concept of wondering if he was doing what he would do if he knew it was the last day of his life. Similarly, write each business email as if this was your last chance to pull a major business deal ashore. This will lead to success. Be personal! Just like the letters written during the Vietnam War your emails are the lifeline to your future. The result of each email should be furthering a relationship that will last a long time.