How to write an effective email with examples (tips) – Zoho Mail

Although there are multiple modes of communication, email is still considered the most reliable and formal mode of communication. Unlike social media platforms or chat apps, email is universal. this makes email one of the preferred communication tools for work. With more and more organizations adapting to hybrid mode, where some employees work from distributed remote offices and some of the employees work from home, email conversations have multiplied. while chat, feedback in team collaboration software can be direct and a bit informal, business email is still considered formal and elaborate. it is one of the most important asynchronous modes of communication. recipients can receive the email, read it, understand it, and then reply to the email.

How to write an email A well-drafted email with a neat structure provides the reader an understanding of what you are trying to convey and the details that they need to respond with. While writing an email is an art, it can be perfected with practice. Some of the best practices in drafting a perfect email – the one that the recipient doesn’t miss among the heap – are listed below:

  1. use a professional email address
  2. have a simple and clear subject line
  3. start with a positive greeting
  4. give context
  5. provide the purpose in a nutshell
  6. mention the cta
  7. add closing comments
  8. use professional signatures
  9. run with spelling/ grammar check/ sanity
  10. use cc/bcc wisely
  11. format your email consistently
  12. schedule your email
  13. set reminders for follow ups

1. use a professional email address

Imagine you are a hiring manager and you receive the following two emails:

from: cute_dog_lover@hmail.com &

from: email_sebastian@hmail.com

Which email are you most likely to open and read and which person would you consider hiring? obviously the second person, since all other parameters are the same. be sure to send non-personal emails from a professional email address. Whether you’re applying for a new position or simply contacting a support team to get answers to your questions, the email address you use helps you gain the trust of a new recipient.

It is strongly recommended that you use a custom domain-based email address when sending official communications or emailing your business contacts. however, if you don’t have one, make sure your email address is professional, with your name or company name on it.

2. have a simple and clear theme

The email subject line is the first thing someone reads (see?) in any email, and is often one of the factors influencing whether the recipient opens and reads emails. no matter what is said, most readers ‘judge’ the email by the ‘subject’.

In fact, many recipients decide whether or not to open an email, based on the subject line, when they receive emails from non-contacts or strangers. it’s the most accurate content in email, and most business relationships have started with great subject lines. Your subject line should be a short summary of the email and you can also set an expectation about the necessary call to action of the email. In short, your topic should be able to grab the recipient’s attention, enough that they click on the email and read it.

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examples:

subject: quarterly earnings report | includes analytics

subject: our meeting @ <event> | let’s catch up!

subject: request your presence at <event>

3. start with a positive greeting

Start the email on a positive note. provide a greeting relevant to the recipient, based on the region they’re from, the time of year they receive this email, or just a “good morning from…”.

when the email turns into an email thread or conversations with a lot to & for replies, you can leave the greeting. however, when you email someone for the first time, the greeting gives the reader a positive vibe and you can be sure that you will receive a response in a positive tone.

examples:

thanks for the great information on <discussion topic> in <event name>

It was a pleasure meeting you at <>.

4. indicate the background

If you’re emailing someone for the first time, introduce yourself and indicate the background of the email. You should state how you know the recipient and why you are emailing them. for example, when emailing someone you met at an event or emailing a contact introduced by a friend, be sure to mention the name of the event or your friend’s name along with details of how you know the recipient .

examples:

It was great talking to you about <>.

I am sending you an email to take <> Forward.

I contact you about <>.

5. provide the purpose in a crux

This is the main part of the email where you mention the main content or purpose of the email. Be sure to write the core content of the email in short, clear sentences. avoid unwanted jargon or overly technical/industry-specific terms in the first email, when you are unsure of the recipient’s knowledge in those areas. if you are reaching out, based on research, or if someone has recommended this contact, be sure to mention it in the email. this will help the reader better understand the context of the email. if you have a lot to say, it would be better to communicate the main and important elements in the first email and save the rest for later.

Emails that are too long may be skipped and you may not get the much-needed response from the other person.

6. mention the cta

Each email is essentially a to-do list for someone. expects a response with some details or action from the recipient. in some cases, the recipient may need to connect you with someone who can act on the email. In any case, clearly mention in the email what action is expected from the recipient. this should be immediately after the core email where you state the purpose of the email.

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examples:

reply to the email with the following details.

can we meet for coffee and talk more?

please provide me with a suitable time and contact details to schedule a call about it.

7. add closing comments

In addition to the cta, add closing comments to give your email that finishing touch. use simple sentences like in the example below, without being too pushy.

examples:

‘waiting for your positive response, to continue’.

‘I look forward to working with you on this’.

‘feel free to call me at ######, if you need more details’.

8. use professional signatures

Don’t forget to add a professional signature at the end of your email. your signature helps you establish your authenticity, your role, your brand, along with the required contact information.

When you email someone for the first time, use an email signature that specifies your full name, your role, and the company or brand you’re associated with. Additionally, you can include your company website and links to social media handles. however, be sure to use simple signatures when the email turns into a long conversation, or set up a simpler signature for replies/forwards.

sign the email with ‘sincerely’ or ‘regards’ or ‘best regards’

If you’re sending an internal email, you can include your department and role, but leave out the company website and social media handles. you can save 2 or 3 signature templates and include them in the emails you send.

examples:

Greetings, Rebecca Thomson, Director of Marketing, Zylker Inc.

sincerely, rebecca thomson tel: +1 234 234 2345 email: rebecca@zylker.com website: www.zylker.com

9. run a spelling/grammar/sanity check

Once you have completed writing your email, read the email again from the recipient’s perspective and ensure that it makes sense. Add attachments, if required. Use a spelling/ grammar check to give the email a quick spelling/ grammar/ phrasing check. You might be surprised at how even experts benefit from the spell checks and sanity checks in their emails. Make sure that you spot the error due to commonly confused words, which can also cause embarrassing errors in the email. Running a spell check for your email

10. use cc/ bcc wisely

You can include other relevant contacts in the cc/bcc email to keep them in the loop. For example, when you email someone who’s been introduced by another mutual friend, it’s a good idea to cc that mutual friend in the email, thank them for the introduction, and continue the email.

In general, it’s not good practice to blind copy someone without the actual recipient knowing, unless you think future conversations are irrelevant to them. In some cases, you may need to add a compliance email address in BCC to archive emails separately.

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11. format your email consistently

A poorly formatted email not only puts the sender in poor light but also affects the readability of the email. Ensure that your email is of consistent font face and font family. Use a ‘professional’ and ‘readable’ font for your emails. You can use ‘Bold’ or ‘Underline’ formatting to highlight portions of email content. Most of the email services provide ‘Rich text editors’ with multiple formatting options. In some cases, using tables in emails can help reduce a lot of unwanted bloated content in the email. Email formatting

to make sure you can choose ‘presets’ for the default font family and size to match your signature settings. With this, you can be sure that your emails are well formatted and presented to the recipients.

12. schedule your email

If you’re a night owl or work with people across timezones, the scheduling feature in your email will make sure that your email reaches the recipients at the right time and catches their attention. Though people wake up to their emails, it is mainly to scan if there’s something urgent or too important that’s waiting for them. Most people respond to emails only later, when they get to their work tables. Hence scheduling an email, to reach the recipient during their peak work hours enhances the chance of them responding immediately. Scheduling your email

Do a little homework to check the recipient’s time zone and schedule the email to be sent at the right time, matching the recipient’s location and time zone.

13. set reminders for follow-ups

Even after all the hard work, the recipient may have read the email and not read it, or sometimes even not read yours. so set reminders for emails to notify you when there is no response from the recipient within a day or two of sending the email.

A genuine follow-up email, reminding the recipient might sometimes work wonders. A lot of people who miss the first email or intentionally ignore them, often respond to the follow-up email in the same conversation instead of a new email on the same topic. The follow-up email can be simple and to the point. Sending reminder emails

example:

hello!

Did you have a chance to check my old email? let me know if you need more information to take this forward.

Email communication is essential for networking and building relationships. Writing an email can be a breeze when you make sure to keep it simple, to the point, and follow the rules of email etiquette.

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