Work Emails 101: Tips For Writing Professional Emails

Email is incredibly important while communicating in the workplace. From briefings to catching up on deadlines, almost everything is discussed via email. However, it is not the same as what you are taught in school and neither is it as casual as texting. There is a fine line between what is considered polite in an email as compared to what can come off as unprofessional. I wish someone had told me about the different ways a casual sentence can be misinterpreted in an email.

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Several employers also encourage their employees to document everything in an email because it makes everything much more easier to track later. A mail trail is always a great way to solve conflict or fact-check communication between two parties.

But before you go starting your email with 'Hey, what's up' to your boss, let me help you out with some email etiquette that will help you in the long run.

While typing out an email to your colleagues, superiors or subordinates, you need to understand that email is a formal way of communication. So, everything needs to be in proper format to avoid any casual hang ups about the conversation at hand.

In order to avoid any sort of confusion, emails should be loud and clear in their message. Think of it as a text message but dressed up in formal attire. Keep the following points in mind:

1. Clarity in emails

Like I mentioned above, be clear about what you want to say. There is no need to ramble about one thing. Getting to the point in an email is the best way to get things done.

2. Grammar check

Use short sentences with correct grammar. Incorrect grammar can cause confusion and can lead to the task at hand being compromised.

3. Marking people

Mark everyone who is important and involved with the matter. If you are sending an email to your peer, make sure to mark your manager.

4. Follow up

Follow up with people. Earlier, emails would be promptly read by people but due to the availability of other means of communication now and spammers, people need to be informed that they have received an email. So, if you do not get a response on the email you sent, instead of spamming the person with follow-up mails, just drop them a text message to check their inbox.

5. Respectful tone

It does not matter who you are sending the email to, be respectful in your tone. Email does not see the difference between your boss and colleague. In the world of email, everyone should be addressed properly.

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6. Send emails in English

Stick to sending emails in English. Unless there is someone who will not understand the language, always send emails in the English language. It is neutral and formal at the same time.

7. Subject line

Your subject line should convey what you are writing about. Do not take the subject column lightly. If you do not write it up properly, your email might not get the priority it needs. Always choose the 'mark important' option and write a subject line that is noticed by the receiver almost instantly. Use the ¡°4 U¡¯s¡± approach taught by American Writers & Artists trainers. The 4 U¡¯s of writing headlines are: Unique Urgent Useful Ultra-specific (very specific) Your email subject lines should definitely be useful and ultra-specific. Apply the other two U¡¯s only when it makes sense to do so.

8. Body of an email

Business emails are like letters which means they have a format - A salutation (a word or phrase like ¡°Gentlemen,¡± ¡°Dear Sir,¡± ¡°Dear Madam¡± or ¡°To Whom it May Concern¡± that is used to begin a letter), an opening sentence, an ending, a closing, the language you use in each part adds to the email¡¯s clarity and tone and salutation. Salutation is extremely important and it changes according to who you are sending your email to.

9. Opening sentence

Your opening sentence marks the tone of your email. If the opening sentence is clear and polite, your email will be welcomed by the reader. However, if you are unclear about what you want, the receiver might ask you to explain yourself again which is a time-consuming task. So, in order to avoid any miscommunication, be clear about what you want in your opening sentence.

10. Email lingo

Learn email lingo. It is very important to understand the different kinds of words and phrases used in emails. Things like 'touching base', 'follow up', 'as per our discussion' are important in the world of emails.

11. Email signature

Lastly, remember to sign off properly after writing your email. Your signature should include your name, designation and company name. If relevant, it should also have your phone number so that the reader can call you in case of any confusion. Sign off politely with words like, 'Sincerely', 'Kind/Best/Warm regards'.

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Do you have any tips? Let us know in the comments.