Learning how to write a professional email can be difficult. Our 101 will show you just what to do and what not to do.
We all write so many emails you might think, "I got this."
You’re at work getting ready to start your day when you open an email titled, “Hey” from another associate at your office. Once you open it you find a message that reads as follows:
“
Thnks”
So what was wrong with that email? There are some obvious mistakes... from the format, subject line, grammar and tone of the message the email is not professional whatsoever especially in
Email accounts have changed the way the world communicates.
Email allows you to send a message halfway across the world in a millisecond, set reminders for meetings around the office, and even chat with friends. In a recent study, it was found that 294 billion emails are sent per day. That is a lot of emails. Let's not fill the world with more crappy emails. Here are a few things we have found that can help someone of any age learn how to write a professional email.
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
Before you even start your email, you should think about the type of person you are writing to since your audience will set the tone of the email. Take, for example, if you were emailing a new employee or customer your tone may be more formal. On the other hand, if you are emailing veteran employees or managers you might be more informal with your language.
This will be impacted a lot based on your company culture. If you work in a place where the occasional Bitmoji will brighten someone's day — send it! There is a time and a place though. Keep in mind your audience and the goals of your email before adding in those informal side notes.
SUBJECT LINES
These are the very first words your manager or employee will see. You are trying to draw them in and want them to actually open your message and see the contents. Here are a few useful tips to keep in mind when choosing a subject line in your professional email.
- Keep to the point
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Making your subject line short, sweet and to the point will make the recipient curious as to what is inside. No one likes long subject lines that extend past their screen.
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- Keywords count
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It’s always important to use words associated with the email in your subject line. For example: if you’re writing an email that is time-sensitive, you would want to put “Meeting Thursday at 2 p.m.” in your subject line so everyone knows that there will be a meeting on Thursday. The email will then give them important details about the meeting.
- Avoid one-word subjects
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If someone sees an email with “Hi” or “Hey” as the subject line, they will probably ignore it. Make sure to be as detailed as possible without being overbearing. This ties in with the length of the subject line as well.
SET THE TONE
No matter what kind of audience you are writing towards, you should always remember to be careful with sarcasml. A recent study found that 64% of people have sent or received an email that has caused them an unintended anger or confusion.
It’s hard to interpret the tone of an electronic message so to avoid confusion or anger, read your e-mail out loud to yourself before you send it. If you think it sounds “snarky” while you are reading it out loud, then it probably would offend your recipient.
GRAMMAR
Outside the body of your email, the grammar may be the most important part of your professional e-mail! We’ve learned how to be grammatically correct our whole lives and this is the perfect opportunity to do so! Useful tips for best grammar:
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Consider reading it out loud
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Check your punctuation
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Run spell check
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Final important check, use the correct names for your recipients and spell them correctly.
To learn how to write those difficult emails check out our blog, "3 Tips on How to Write a Professional Email About Elephants." Looking for different ways to send a professional email? Check out VING and change the way your company communicates!
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