This the Art of Professionalism, a periodic series of articles that deal with basic — yet important — business skills that we might not have learned. Being a solopreneur does not excuse us from needing to master these fundamental lessons!

Whether you’re dashing off a quick reply to a colleague or contacting a prospective customer, your electronic sales staff is whispering in their ear. Do you like what’s being said?

“I’m careless and will screw up details on your project.”

A clear and short subject line is essential, especially if the message is your first contact with someone. With so many messages competing for attention and the ever-present nuisance of spam, lots of folks use the subject line to decide, in an instant, whether to open a message or click “Delete.”