The reasons for writing work emails are multifarious—to give updates about the progress of a project, to answer general inquiries, and even forwarding your own inquiries. It’s important to maintain professionalism when writing a work email as it ensures effective communication. Here’s a list of things to consider before you write!
Things to Do When Writing a Professional Email
- Set a Clear Objective for Yourself
- Write a Concise Subject
- Never forget salutations
- Personalise It
- Have Sufficient Information in Your Body
- Invite Questions
- Choosing the Right Sign-Off
- Proofread
Set a Clear Objective for Yourself
Maybe it’s not efficient to write an email for this particular thing you’re working on. Maybe it’s better to talk on the phone, send a text or even a WhatsApp message.
While nothing can take the place of a well-written email, your correspondence is very much likely to respond to a phone call or a simple text message—people tend to answer emails in their own time. Therefore, consider other channels of communication first especially if it’s time sensitive.
If an email is indeed necessary, ask yourself the purpose of writing it. Do you want clarification about the previous email they sent? Are you asking them to provide a decision on the next course of action? Are you merely sending an email with an attachment? Identify the purpose of your email as it will determine the flow and tone of what you are about to write.
Write a Concise Subject
A good subject line does not have to be long. If it is, you might as well send an email with only the subject without the body or content. Better yet, a WhatsApp message would do the trick.
Most email apps on mobile devices stop displaying an email’s subject once it reaches between 33 and 43 characters. On the other hand, if you use Gmail or Yahoo! on your computer, approximately 60 characters will be displayed.
To avoid a lengthy subject, only include important things related to your email so the recipient can prioritise its importance without opening it.
If you’re emailing your co-worker, let them know which project you’re referring to on the subject line.
If you’re writing a job application, include your name and the position you’re applying for.
Never Forget Salutations
Have you ever sent an email without any greetings? If so, imagine that you are the recipient of said email—how would you feel? Would you walk up to a colleague at the office and start talking about a report without saying “Hi” or even mentioning their name?
In most situations, a “Hi [Name]” or “Hello [Name]” are the best options for a salutation—they are simple yet friendly.
On the other hand, “Dear [Name]” is also used a lot in emails—although it’s best to reserve it for when you wish to give a polite touch to your email. It can also be used when addressing a person in a position of respect. For example, “Dear Dr. Ali” or “Dear Dato’ Hisyam” sounds more appropriate than “Hi Dr. Ali” or “Hi Dato’ Hisyam”.
On a side note, if your correspondence is a woman and you’re unsure whether they are married or not, use “Ms” before their name as in “Ms Hawa”, especially if they are your superior.
Whatever you do, never misspell the recipient’s name—ever!
Personalise It
Remember, your correspondence is human! Consider starting your email with “Hope you’re having a pleasant morning so far.” if you’re sending an email at the wee hours.
A “Thank you for your prompt reply.” perfectly expresses your gratitude after receiving an immediate response from them.
If they just got back from a holiday, consider wishing something along the lines of “How was your trip to Bali? Hope you had a terrific time there.” or “Great to have you back.” especially if it’s the first exchange.
Ask yourself how you would feel if you’re at the receiving end of this email. If you’re not close enough to them on a personal level, a simple “Hope this email finds you well.” would suffice.
Adding a personal touch makes your email appear emphatic. Just be sure to never wish your recipient a pleasant morning when you’re emailing them at 5pm.
Have Sufficient Information in Your Body
A good rule of thumb to follow is to write as though you’re speaking to them verbally. So, keep your sentences simple and the message clear.
Ask yourself “What do I want from them?”, “Why do I need it from them?” and lastly “When do I need it by?”.
While the first and second questions are self-explanatory, expressing the third one could work well in your favour. It’s good to provide a deadline as it helps the recipient to prioritise your request. That said, give them a reasonable amount of time to work on your request as you certainly do not want to receive back a shoddy work.
Also, do not leave out any important information in your email. If you’re second-guessing whether leaving out an information in your email is a good idea, then you probably need to include that particular information.
Besides that, ask yourself if you’re assuming anything. If you’re unsure, just ask them.
Whatever it is, never leave your recipient in the dark.
Invite Questions
Writing an email fast is always a good thing. It means you’re efficient and can do your work well. One drawback from being too quick is the tendency to miss out important information which could otherwise help the recipient execute the task properly or supply further information you need for your own work.
Ending your email with a “Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I am happy to answer them.” lets your recipient ask about anything you may have missed out on.
Aside from that, it makes you seem more approachable and that any query they ask will always be greeted with open arms.
Choosing the Right Sign-Off
So you’ve finished writing that email and is now choosing the best sign-off to end it. The safest choices to close a professional email are “Regards”, “Thank you”, and “Best”.
Considering we’re currently in a pandemic, a simple “Stay safe” puts that extra personal touch and thoughtfulness to your email.
On the other hand, a “Looking forward to hearing from you soon” lets your recipient know that an immediate response is very much appreciated—although it may come off as needy to some.
Whichever sign-off you choose, ending your email with “Love”, “Hugs” or “XOXO” convey anything but professionalism.
Proofread
Know that any typos or grammar mistakes you commit in your email might leave a bad impression—it shows that you don’t pay attention to detail.
What may seem like a harmless mistake to you can irk your clients or bosses. It is certainly understandable to question whether someone who is unable to even get their names right (e.g., spell their name “Kamaruddin” when it’s “Kamaluddin”) can handle a multimillion-ringgit project.
What about mistaking “your” with “you’re” or “its” with “it’s”? Or did you use that comma correctly? Did you miss a full stop and left the sentence hanging?
Even worse is if you wrote something that changes the whole meaning of the word. Imagine spending a whole hour writing only to finally send out an email that says, “Apologies for any incontinence” when you really mean “Apologies for any inconvenience”. These things happen!
A good rule of thumb in proofreading is to “Ice It”. This means putting it aside for a while and focus on other tasks at hand before returning to it—like how ice melts if left outside the freezer for too long.
As the writer, we tend to overlook the typos or errors we make because we already understand the content of our email. By “Icing It”, we can see the email with a fresher pair of eyes.
It is important to read your email again—you can’t expect your recipient to read it if you’re not even willing to read it yourself first.
Alternatively, get a second opinion by asking your colleague to read your email if you doubt your English proficiency (preferably someone who is known to write good emails or have a solid grasp of the English language).
This is also the best time to see you if you have attached that document you mentioned in your email. Luckily, email services like Gmail and Outlook gives you a reminder should you forget to include your attachment(s) before sending an email out. Although, you can never be too careful!
Writing doesn’t have to be difficult. Learn how you can write effectively and professionally from the comfort of your own home by joining Express English Course for Working Adults (EWA) Virtual via our website at https://brican.com.my/english-courses/.
Written by Arif Norkulis
References:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-professional-email
https://englishlive.ef.com/blog/career-english/write-perfect-professional-email-english-5-steps/
https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-write-professional-email-examples
https://www.rit.edu/behindthebricks/content/10-tips-writing-professional-emailshttps://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-an-excellent-email-subject-line-2014-3
