It may not seem like a major faux-pas, but in the modern workplace sending a poorly composed email may make or break your chances of being understood and getting what you want. We have all been the victim of a badly written email, and more likely than not, we have all been guilty of sending one, too. Taking the time to learn how to write better emails will pay off, and get you the responses you’re after.
According to a study from the McKinsey Global Institute, 28 percent of the average professional’s workweek is spent reading and responding to emails. And research from a technology market research firm has found that the average corporate worker sends and receives a whopping 105 emails over the course of a day! So regardless of whether or not you are a fan of the ‘Inbox Zero’ technique, by writing clearer, simpler emails, you can maximise your time and potential – and your colleagues will love you for it!
Let’s tackle the hefty question of how to write better emails – and point out the common mistakes that you may not even know that you’re making.
What to write in a subject line
Always write a subject line, and always write it first. Keep it simple, short, and to the point. It needs to be clear and concise – don’t be vague. Place the most important words at the beginning. If you need a response, state it here. If it’s the first time you’re emailing this person, include your name or the name of your organisation in the subject line. If it’s a job application, identify the position as well.
Some examples: “Thoughts needed on X topic” “[Your Name] Application for [Position]” “Looking to Exchange Ideas About X” “X task to complete by Friday ” “Time Sensitive Task X – Thanks For Your Help!”
Which greeting to use
When opening an email, always greet your recipient appropriately. Use a suitable yet friendly greeting.
Use “hi” if you are keeping it light and informal with a colleague. But when addressing a stranger, or in a business context, use “dear” to keep it professional and remind the person of where they know you from. Unsurprisingly, business-etiquette experts like Barbara Pachter warns against using “hey”, “yo” “holla” or “g’day” in an email greeting!
Get to the point
Don’t waste their time! It is important to be respectful, brief and specific. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in writing an email is to send an email which is too long, or where the point of the email is unclear.
“Thanks for your help, I will get right to the point…” “What I need from you right now, is…”
Should I use exclamation points?
While including a fun little exclamation point in your email can make you seem more approachable and enthusiastic, try to avoid sending too many! Overuse of exclamation marks can be seen as unprofessional and overly excitable! Experts recommend to try to stick to just one exclamation point per email!
Conclude with a clear call to action
The end of your email should be positive and clearly state what you want the recipient to do. Avoid open-ended questions.
For example, if you need a specific task completed by a certain time, don’t write “let me know your thoughts”, instead write “please complete X task by 4pm today”.
How to end an email
Remember to say thank you! It never hurts to be polite, especially in an email. Research by Boomerang shows that including a version of “thank you” in your email correlates to a 36% increase in response rate. You can also set up a personalised email signature to sign off.
Always proofread
It goes without saying that you should always proofread your emails for errors. There is nothing worse than misspelling a recipient’s name in an email – imagine the horror! Similarly, if your name is like mine and often autocorrects to a completely different word, always double-check before hitting that ‘send’ button.
When to send that email
Some emails need to sit for a while to ensure that you have gotten the message across as clearly as possible, especially if they are sensitive. It might help to draft the email in a word processing document, so you don’t accidentally send it before it is complete. You could also ask a colleague to give you a second opinion. However, if it isn’t particularly sensitive or wordy, don’t overthink it!
Think about what time you are most likely to check your emails. Research from Campaign Monitor shows that the best time to send an email to ensure a fast response, is in the midmorning between 9am and 11am. Surprisingly, the best day of the week to send an email is on a Tuesday.
