How To Write Better Emails at Work

How to Write Better Emails at Work
Email has long been a core tool for business communications, but according to research, 50% of
emails and texts are misunderstood.
So, how can you avoid your emails getting misconstrued? And how can you write emails that get the
results you want?
1. Set a clear goal for your email - If you are not clear about the purpose of your email before
you start to write it, you can be sure that the recipient won't be either. All good emails have
one – and only one – goal. This is called the 'one thing rule.' Requesting more than one
action in an email can led to confusion, which leads to inefficient communication.
To define a goal for your message, you can ask yourself the following questions:
 Why am I sending this email now?

 What am I asking the recipient to do?
 How do I want them to feel?
 How should they respond?
Sometimes you absolutely need to cover several things around the same topic in one email.
In this case, it's increasingly essential to format your message clearly by using bullet points
or numbered lists. Highlighting different email components makes it easier for the recipient
to process your message and respond in a manner that covers everything you need.
2. Consider your audience - In all professional communication, your audience should be your
first consideration. Who will read your email dictates how you write it from tone to content.
Before writing your email, spend some time thinking about the recipient. In a professional
context, the person could be an existing customer, potential client, colleague, or boss. Their
role and relationship to you will define the approach you take. It will also affect the tone of
your email, including how formal or informal it is.
Also, remember that your audience includes everyone added into "To:", "CC:", and "BCC:"
fields, focusing on the first one. An audience of one makes it easy to personalize your
message and tailor the approach for the recipient.
3. Write your email before entering the recipient email address - It is always best practice to
write the contents of your email first in case you accidentally send the message too early.
4. Ensure you CC all relevant recipients. It is unprofessional to leave out a colleague or client
from a relevant email chain. Be mindful of who should be informed about a given matter and
respect that. You don't always have to "reply all". Think about who needs to read your
response; no one wants to read an email chain from 20 people that has nothing to do with
them.
5. Have a compelling subject line. Subject lines can make or break your email’s success. It’s
often the deciding factor on whether someone will open your email. It’s descriptive, specific,
and tells me that this is an introduction.
Subject lines are especially important if you’re reaching out to someone for the first time.
The recipient doesn’t know who you are and can only judge you from your subject line. Be
clear, direct, and describe the content of your email.
The best subject lines are informative yet concise. The challenge is to keep your email
subject line concise but specific. The ideal length is somewhere between 3 and 8 words,
which should be enough to provide an overview of your message.
6. Choose the best email greeting - The way you start the email sets the tone of the message
and builds the recipient's first impression of you. Unfortunately, many don't pay enough
attention to it. What's the proper way to start my email then? Well, it depends. The
appropriate greeting for your email can be formal or friendly, depending on who you
communicate with and your purpose.
7. Seal the deal with email closing sentence - Becoming a better email writer requires
constantly building your toolbox. One of these tools is a closing sentence that ends the
content part of your email. These phrases can be used to show gratitude, set expectations
for the future, and express your willingness to help.
8. Keep it concise - Keeping your email short and sweet ensures that you deliver the message
effectively. Lengthy emails that bury the point easily get unanswered and eventually
forgotten. Or worse, misunderstood.
9. Use clear and concise language - Avoid using jargon or complex language that may be
difficult for others to understand. Instead, use clear and concise language that is easy to
read and understand.
10. Use the right tone - Always use a professional and courteous tone when communicating
with your team members. Avoid using sarcasm or negative language, as this can lead to
misunderstandings and hard feelings.
11. Avoid using overly casual language - Using slang, emoticons, or overly informal language
can make an email appear unprofessional. Stick to a professional tone and language
throughout the email.
12. Avoid using colourful or unprofessional fonts - Using colourful or unprofessional fonts can
make an email appear unprofessional and can be difficult to read. Stick to standard,
professional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial.
13. Use feedforward instead of feedback - Provide specific and actionable feedback: Instead of
providing general feedback, be specific and provide actionable steps that the recipient can
take to improve. Focus on the future: Feedforward is forward-looking, so focus on what can
be done in the future rather than dwelling on the past.
14. Don’t forget to set professional out of office message. Some ideas in the link here.
15. Do you want to learn more about writing better mails, here you have a Udemy course for
more details.

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 Why am I sending this email now?

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