Email has long been a critical tool for business communications, but a 2013 survey by sendmail, inc. found that it has caused stress, confusion, or other negative consequences for 64% of working professionals.
so how can you prevent your emails from doing this? And how can you write emails that get the results you want? In this article and video, we look at strategies you can use to ensure your use of email is clear, effective, and successful.
writing effective emails
The average office worker receives around 80 emails per day. with that volume of mail, individual messages can easily be overlooked. Follow these simple rules to get your emails noticed and acted upon.
- don’t over-communicate via email.
- make good use of subject lines.
- keep messages clear and brief.
- be cuts.
- check your tone.
- correct.
1. don’t communicate too much by email
One of the biggest sources of stress at work is the sheer volume of emails people receive. so before you start writing an email, ask yourself: “is this really necessary?”
As part of this, you should use the phone or instant message to discuss questions that are likely to require a back-and-forth discussion. use our communication planning tool to identify the channels that are best for different types of messages.
Also, email isn’t as secure as you’d like, especially since people can forward emails without thinking of deleting conversation history. so avoid sharing sensitive or personal information in an email, and don’t write about anything you or the subject of your email wouldn’t like to see plastered on a billboard in your office.
Whenever possible, deliver bad news in person. this helps you to communicate with empathy, compassion and understanding, and to make amends if your message has been misunderstood.
2. make good use of subject lines
a newspaper headline has two functions: to capture your attention and to summarize the article, so you can decide whether to read it or not. the subject line of your email should do the same.
A blank subject line is more likely to be overlooked or rejected as “spam”, so always use a few well-chosen words to tell the recipient what the email is about.
You may want to include the date in the subject line if your message is one of a regular series of emails, such as a weekly project report. for a message that needs a response, you can also include a call to action, such as “reply by November 7”.
A well-written subject line like the one below delivers the most important information, without the recipient having to open the email. this serves as a message that reminds recipients about your meeting every time they look at their inbox.
If you have a very short message to convey and can fit it all in the subject line, use “eom” (end of message) so recipients know they don’t need to open the email to get all the information they need.
(Of course, this is only useful if recipients know what “eom” means.)
3. keep messages clear and brief
Emails, like traditional business letters, should be clear and concise. keep your sentences short and to the point. The body of the email should be direct and informative, containing all pertinent information. Check out our writing skills article for guidance on how to communicate clearly in writing.
However, unlike traditional letters, it costs no more to send multiple emails than it does to send just one. so if you need to communicate with someone about a number of different topics, consider writing a separate email for each one. this makes your message clearer and allows your correspondent to respond to one topic at a time.
subject: sales report revisions
hi jackie,
Thank you for submitting that report last week. I read it yesterday and I feel that chapter 2 needs more specific information about our sales figures. I also felt that the tone could be more formal.
I also wanted to let you know that I’ve scheduled a meeting with the PR department for this Friday regarding the new ad campaign. it’s at 11:00 a.m. m. and it will be in the small conference room.
please let me know if you can make it at that time.
thank you!
monica
subject: sales report revisions
hi jackie,
Thank you for submitting that report last week. I read it yesterday and I feel that chapter 2 needs more specific information about our sales figures.
I also felt the tone could be more formal.
Could you modify it taking into account these comments?
thanks for your hard work on this!
monica
(Monica then follows this up with a separate email about the PR meeting.)
It’s important to find the balance here. you don’t want to bombard someone with emails, and it makes sense to combine several related points into one email. when this happens, keep things simple with numbered paragraphs or bullet points, and consider “breaking” the information into small, well-organized units to make it easier to digest.
Notice, too, that in the nice example above, Monica specified what she wanted Jackie to do (in this case, modify the report). if you make it easy for people to see what you want, there’s a better chance they’ll give it to you.
4. be polite
People often think that emails can be less formal than traditional letters. but the messages you send are a reflection of your own professionalism, values, and attention to detail, so a certain level of formality is needed.
Unless you’re on good terms with someone, avoid informal language, jargon, jargon, and inappropriate abbreviations. Emoticons can be helpful in clarifying your intent, but it’s best to use them only with people you know well.
Close your message with “regards,” “yours faithfully,” or “all the best,” depending on the situation.
Recipients may decide to print the emails and share them with others, so always be courteous.
5. check tone
When we meet people face-to-face, we use the other person’s body language, tone of voice, and facial expressions to gauge how they feel. email steals this information from us, and this means we can’t tell when people have misunderstood our messages.
Your word choice, sentence length, punctuation, and capitalization can easily be misunderstood without visual and auditory cues. In the first example below, Emma might think that Harry is frustrated or angry, but actually he is feeling fine.
Emma,
I need your report by 5 p.m. m. today or I’ll miss my deadline.
harry
Hi Emma,
thank you for all your hard work on that report. could you send me your version before 5:00 p.m. m. so I don’t miss my deadline?
thank you very much!
harry
Think about how your email “feels” emotionally. if your intentions or emotions can be misunderstood, find a less ambiguous way to express your words.
6. review
Finally, before you hit “send,” take a moment to review your email for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Your emails are as much a part of your professional image as the clothes you wear, so it doesn’t look good to send a message that contains typos.
As you review, pay close attention to the length of your email. People are more likely to read short and to the point emails than long and confusing ones, so make sure your emails are as short as possible, without excluding necessary information.
Our writing skills article has tips and strategies you can use when reviewing your emails.
infographics
click the image below to see our infographic on how to write effective emails.