Email is one of the most widely used means of communication within and outside the workplace. Because of its speed and efficiency, you are likely to use email in some way regardless of your role or industry. You can write professional emails for a variety of reasons. For example, you may need to rehearse an important meeting, exchange information, pass on important updates, or send a letter of introduction.
A well-written email gives the recipient a friendly, clear, concise, and non-compliant message. Learning to write an email that meets all of these criteria can take practice.
Consider the following tips and best practices to help you write effective, professional emails: Find your purpose, consider your audience, keep it short, update your email, apply the appropriate code of conduct and remember to follow up.
Table of Contents
Five steps to writing professional emails
If you are unsure how to start an email, these five steps can help you write an activity message:
Find your goal
Before you write an email, ask yourself what you want the recipient to do after he or she has read it. Once you have determined the purpose of your email, you can confirm that everything you include in your message supports this action. For example, if you want the recipient to review the report you attached, let them know what the report is, why you need to update it, what kind of response you need and when you need the job completed.
Think About Your Audience
When writing an email message, make sure your tone matches your audience. For example, if you email a business manager you have never met, keep the email polished and free of jokes or irregularities. On the other hand, if you e-mail your partner with whom you have a good relationship, you might use a more casual, friendly approach.
Keep it short
Your audience may have less time to read through your email, so make it as short as possible without leaving out important details. Try not to cover too many topics at once as this can make your message longer, more difficult to read, and harder to take. When editing your email, remove any information that is not related to the topic you are discussing. Use short, simple sentences by removing complete words and external information.
Confirm your email
A flawless email shows diligence and professionalism. Before sending an email, take a moment to check for any spelling, grammar, or syntax errors. Also, double-check to make sure you include any attachments you may have identified to your message. If it is an important email to key stakeholders, you may ask your direct manager or trusted colleague to read it before sending it.
Apply good manners
Include a polite greeting and a clear, friendly closing. In addition, consider the recipient and his time. For example, unless it is an emergency, avoid sending an e-mail to someone asking for something in the hours or while they are on vacation.
Remember to follow
Most people receive a few emails a day, so they may miss or forget to reply to your message. If the recipient has not responded within two working days, consider returning with a friendly tracking email.
One of the biggest sources of stress in the workplace is the huge amount of emails people receive. So before you start writing an email, ask yourself: “Is this necessary?”
As part of this, you should use a phone or IM to deal with questions that may need to be discussed back and forth. Use our Communication Planning Tool to identify channels suitable for different types of messages.
Also, email is not as secure as you would like it to be, especially since people may be sending emails without thinking about deleting chat history. So avoid sharing sensitive or personal information in the email, and do not write about anything you, or the subject of your email, that you would not like to see posted on the bulletin board by your office.
Whenever possible, bring bad news in person. This helps you to speak with empathy, compassion, and understanding, and to correct if your message has been misinterpreted.
How to send an email through mobile phone
- On your phone open the Gmail app.
- In the bottom right corner click the compose button.
- You can add recipients too in the”cc” and “bcc” fields.
- Now write a subject in your subject field.
- Tap your message and send the email through the arrow which is the send button.
How to send an email from a computer
- On your computer go to Gmail using any browser.
- Login to your Id.
- Click compose from the top right corner.
- Now, add recipients if you want in the “cc” and “bcc” fields.
- Add Subject after that.
- Write your message.
- And click send using the send button.
Leave a Reply