Building a Snowman Can Remind You How to Write a Professional Email

Learning how to write a professional email is as simple as building a snowman. Do you have a step by step guide when creating your professional emails?

Everyone knows the necessary steps to building the perfect snowman, but do you know the steps it takes to create a professional email? Too often the creation of emails are overlooked. Richard Nordquist, grammar and composition expert, wrote a guide addressing 10 Tips on How to Write a Professional Email. Let's get the ball rolling with 7 on how to write a professional email. Frosty will make remember these steps easy!

Step One - Snowball One

Imaging the body of your email as the biggest snowball of your snowman. Like any perfect snowman the biggest snow ball is the foundation of your masterpiece. Your message is the biggest and most important snowball. Be clear on what you are telling your recipient, what message are you exactly trying to deliver? Keep your email straight forward, and concise.

Step Two - Snowball Two

The second snowball sits on top of your foundation (snowball number one). This snowball is just like the greeting you place above the body of your email. Without the middle of your snowman Frosty would not be complete. The same goes for an email without a greeting. Give your email personality and direction. With a simple greeting at the beginning your email will create a personal connection to your recipient. A few good examples of professional email salutations are:

• Dear Frosty,
• Hello Mr. Snowman,
• To whom it may concern,

Step Three - Snowball Three

The head of your snowman is the smallest snowball and it has to attract the most attention, similar to the subject line of your email. A good subject line touches on what your email is about, while being creative and inviting. Some helpful examples of subject lines — that will get your point across to your recipients are:

• Question regarding the meeting w/Frosty @ 4:00 pm
• Reminder: Conference North Pole @ 10:00am
• Request to reschedule meeting with Mrs. Snowflake to Monday

Remember any informative subject line requires detail, as well as, the date or time of the event or meeting you are addressing in your email. With a strong subject line you are sure to catch the attention of your recipients.

Step Four - Arms & Eyes

You don’t need extra arms or eyes for your snowman, just like you don’t need more information in your professional email. Too often we forget the subject at hand and we replace it with rambling sentences. Being precise and direct is what writing a professional email requires. Touch on what you need to get your message across and save the small talk for the breakroom. This is an important step when learning how to write a professional email. It is easy to feel the need to be overly formal, always rememeber... keep it simple.

Step Five - Carrot Nose

You wouldn't replace you carrot nose with a toothpick, so don’t replace words with abbreviations. Although abbreviated words are less time consuming to type, taking the extra time to avoid abbreviations will save your reader from figuring out what “hip language” you are trying to pull off. More importantly, avoiding abbreviations will elliminate confusion and misunderstanding. Examples of abbreviated words to steer clear from are:

• PLZ (please)
• ASAP (as soon as possible)
• TTYL (talk to you later)

Save the abbreviated words for the cell phone conversations — after office hours. Remember your carrot nose is important, and it is what makes you snowman special. Like Frosty’s carrot nose your words make your email professional.

Step Six - The Scarf

A snowman with no scarf, is a professional email with no proofreading. Although some snowman builders may feel a scarf is an unnecessary adornment, skipping proofreading could result in emails being sent to the wrong person, change the meaning/context, or just be plain incorrect. Proofreading is always essential.

Although, we all have access to spell check features with new technology, trusting spell check can certainly be helpful, but trusting spellcheck alone may also be potentially harmful. Proofreading your email will allow you to catch the missing punctuation marks, typos, spelling errors, and even wrong word replacement/suggestions — thanks again auto-correct. Proofreading is the scarf your professional email needs to keep it warm and well dressed.

Step Seven - The Tophat

The finishing touches on your snowman — his hat! The hat of your email is what tops your skills on how to write a professional email. Your emails need to end with a proper closing. Taking the time to thank your recipient for their time is a common courtesy that is welcomed and appreciated. A few great closings are:

• Thank you again, Frosty
• Sincerely, Jackfrost
• Best Regards, Snowy

Wrap up your professional email with a closing that will leave a smile on their face in this snowy weather.

So the next time you go to write an email think of Frosty! His body parts will remind you of the steps you need to take to writing a professional email.

Remember:

• The topic your email addresses.
• Always include a greeting.
• Create a catchy/informative subject line.
• Focus on what is important.
• Eliminate abbreviations.
• Proofread, proofread, and proofread again.
• Always say thank you.

Build your emails with these snowy reminders. With emails being sent as constantly as snow falling in the winter, it's important to be as professional about email messages as possible. Impress your recipients with your skills on how to write a professional email and your neighbors with your fantastic frosty building skills!