How to Write Effective Emails
Do people respond to your emails quickly? Or do they ignore them, or miss important information? Also are you making the best possible impression with your emails?
When you compose an email, there are some simple rules that you can follow so that your emails makes a positive impression, and gets you the response you want.
We look at these here, and we’ll illustrate the points we’re talking about with both good and bad examples at the end of each section.
Subject lines are headlines
A newspaper headline has two functions: It grabs your attention, and it tells you what the article is about, so that you can decide if you want to read further. Email subject lines need to do exactly the same thing! Use a few well-chosen words, so that the recipient knows at a glance what the email is about.
If you make appropriate use of the subject line, you increase the chances that your email will be read, rather than mistaken for spam and deleted.
Aolso, just as no newspaper is ever published without headlines, never send your mail with subject line blank. Emails with blank subject lines are usually spam!
Make one point per email
One of the advantages of email compared with traditional letters is that it doesn’t cost any more to send several emails than it does to send one. Generally while reading any written matter, we tend to ignore leave last few lines. So, if you need to communicate with someone about a number of different things, consider writing a separate email on each subject. Otherwise, there are good chances that your message will be only partly read.
That way, your correspondent can reply to each one individually and in the appropriate time frame. One topic might only require a short reply that he or she can send straight away. Another topic might require more research. By writing separate messages, you should get clearer answers, while helping other people manage their inboxes better.
If you do want to put several points in an email – perhaps because they relate to the same project – consider presenting each point in a separate, numbered paragraph. This makes each point stand out, significantly increasing the likelihood that each point will be addressed.
Keep your mail short
As with traditional business letters; each individual email should be clear and concise, with the purpose of the message detailed in the very first paragraph. Sentences should be kept short and to the point. The body of the email should contain all pertinent information and should be direct and informative.
Specify the response you want
Make sure to include any action you want, like a phone call or follow-up appointment. Then, make sure you include your contact information, including your name, title, and phone numbers. Do this even with internal messages. Remember, the easier you make it for someone else to respond, the more likely they are to do so!
Use simple English
Keep your emails grammatically simple. This means that a) you’re less likely to make grammatical mistakes, and b) your reader is more likely to understand them.
Here are some ways of writing simple English:
– use active forms instead of passive forms
– write short sentences rather than long ones (remember the word order Subject Verb Object Manner Place Time)
– don’t use idioms or phrasal verbs
– use common words rather than technical or jargon words if your reader is not in the same field as you
Don’t send heavy attachments
If possible, send a zip file, or give web addresses where your reader can find information.
Be a good correspondent
Make sure that you go through your inbox regularly and respond as appropriate. This is a simple act of courtesy and will also encourage others to reply to your emails in a timely manner. If a detailed response is required to an email, and you don’t have the time to pull together the information straight away, send a holding reply saying that you have received the message, and indicating when you will respond fully.
How frequently you should check your mail will depend on the nature of your work, but try to avoid interrupting a task you’re working on to check your mail, simply because you wonder if something interesting has come in.
Always set your Out of Office auto reply when you’re going to be away from your email for a day or more, whether on leave or because you’re at meetings.
Internal emails
Internal emails, just like other emails, should not be too informal. Remember, these are written forms of communication that can be altered, forwarded, printed out and viewed by people other than those for whom they were originally intended! Hence be careful of your email content
Try to make your emails informative and polite, and use a neutral tone. Remember that your reader could forward your email to other people, so only write what you would be happy for other people to read. (No gossip, no personal comments, no confidential information and no ambiguous English such as sarcastic humor.) Avoid using emoticons and similes in business emails, or too many exclamation marks.
Check your email before you send it
Use a spell check to eliminate spelling mistakes. Read your email aloud to check for grammar and punctuation errors.
Some other useful pieces of advice
Use a spell check to eliminate spelling mistakes. Read your email aloud to check for grammar and punctuation errors.
Don’t write your mail in all capitals. This makes it difficult for the receiver to read your mail. Don’t underline any word for emphasis. Underlined word is an indicator of hyperlink. Make a word bold snd/or etallics to highlight.
Make minimum use of cc/bcc field. Send your mail to those who are directly connected with your message. Sending copies to un related persons will simply waste their time.
Don’t attach heavy files. Zip the files or give website address where your receiver can access the information.
Pause before replying to an aggressive mail. Keep in mind the following: Never reply to a letter when you are angry; never make a promise when you are happy and never make a decesion when you are sad.
Finally; ask yourself these questions:
“Is this clear?”
“Does my reader know what to do next?”
“Is this polite?”
Press send button only if your answer to above three questions is yes. If not; revise your mail till you get the answers to all of above three questions right.
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By:
Sarwan Singh
@sarwan_singh
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