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How to write great business emails.
Today’s lesson: Writing effective business emails in English
Lesson Title
Writing effective business emails in English.
Duration: 60 minutes
Level: Upper intermediate or Advancede
In this mini course “How to write great business emails” you will learn
Business emails are an essential part of communication in the workplace. They are used to share information, request action, and build relationships with colleagues, clients, and other stakeholders. In this mini course you will learn about writing effective business emails that are clear, concise, and professional.
How to write great business emails.
For most of us, email is the most common form of business communication, so it’s important to get it right. Although emails usually aren’t as formal as letters, they still need to be professional to present a good image of you and your company.
In this mini course, we will cover the following:
- Anatomy of a good email.
- Etiquette of emailing, some very simple dos and don’ts.
- How to start an email correctly and create a good impression.
- How to communicate facts and information clearly.
- Closing an email the correct way.
- Email examples for your reference.
Before we start, did you know that…
E-mail and email are both correct ways to spell the same word.
The issue of the hyphen (or lack thereof) in e-mail is still far from being settled. Different companies prefer one spelling over the other, so if you need to follow one, make sure you use the preferred spelling.
Anatomy of a good email.
Every email you write has the same basic structure: Subject line, greeting, email body, and closing. But as with every piece of written communication, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.
Subject line
The subject line could be the most significant part of the email, though it’s often overlooked in favour of the email body. But if you’re cold-emailing someone, or just establishing a professional relationship, your subject line can entice people to open the message as well as set expectations about what’s enclosed.
On the other hand, a poorly crafted or generic subject line (like “Hi” or “You don’t want to miss this”) can stop the reader and result in your email landing in the spam folder.
Spend some time crafting the right subject line as you do on the [body] because if they don’t open the email, it doesn’t matter,”
A good subject line should be written from the recipient’s perspective:
- be pertinent to the recipient (not just to you)
- encourage the recipient to open the email itself
- indicate to the recipient whether they need to open it now or later
- easily searchable / retrievable by the recipient
- short
Give a very clear indication of the actual message.
Also, remember that the email you have written may then become part of a long chain, possibly with multiple recipients. If possible, choose a subject line that will not need to be changed (because it is not sufficiently pertinent) at some point later in the chain.
Here are 5 examples of email subject lines.
| Subject Line |
| 1. James, here is the product information you requested. |
| 2. James, we need your feedback about the new product. |
| 3. Urgent: We require your feedback about the new product launch today! |
| 4. Product launch – Kitchen Magic requires your feedback. |
| 5. We’re starting the Kitchen Magic launch today. |
Openers.
In most email writing situations, you’ll want to include a quick greeting to acknowledge the reader before diving into your main message or request.
The exception: When you’re on an email chain with close colleagues, it often becomes more natural to drop the opener (as well as the closing). Though, it may initially feel like a mistake. It is professional and objective to do this when talking to your co-workers.
Dear [Name]
This email greeting is an appropriate salutation for formal email correspondence. It’s typically used in cover letters, official business letters, and other communication when you want to convey respect for the recipient.
Although honorifics like “Mr.” and “Mrs.” were once accepted, they risk of erroneously assuming the reader’s marital status. Instead, use “Dear Sam” or “Dear Sam Barney.”
Hi or Hello
As far as email greetings go, an informal “Hi” followed by a comma is perfectly acceptable in most work-related messages. If a slightly more formal tone is preferred, consider the salutation “Hello.”
Although this is considered an informal greeting, it also conveys a straightforward and friendly tone.
Hi everyone, Hi team, or Hi [department name] team
When writing an email message to two or more people, you have a few options. “Hi everyone,” “Hi team,” or “Hi [department name] team” are informal yet professional ways to greet a group of people. They also avoid gender-specific addresses to a group, like “Hi guys,” “Hi ladies,” or “Gentlemen,” which might not accurately describe the recipients.
These examples are clear, concise, and professional.
They get to the point quickly and uses simple language.
Engaging email opening sentences.
In most email writing situations, you’ll want to include a quick greeting to acknowledge the reader before diving into your main message or request.
The exception: When you’re on an email chain with close colleagues, it often becomes more natural to drop the opener (as well as the closing). Though, it may initially feel like a mistake. It is professional and objective to do this when talking to your co-workers.
I hope your week is going well, or I hope you had a nice weekend.
These are effective email opening sentences because they acknowledge your reader first and help build rapport with a colleague you already know or with whom you want to develop a friendly working relationship.
I’m reaching out about.
Beginning an email with “I’m reaching out about . . . ” is polite and direct, and clarifies the purpose of the email. With hundreds of email correspondences transmitted in a single business day, this approach shows you’re being conscientious about the recipient’s time by getting straight to the point.
Stating your intent also avoids miscommunication or confusion about what you need from the reader.
Thanks for.
Expressing gratitude is another way to put the reader first. If the email you’re writing is in response to an email or action by the recipient, acknowledging that at the start builds on workplace camaraderie.
Email body text.
The body of an email is the meat of your message, and it must have a clear and specific purpose, such as getting feedback on a presentation or arranging a meeting with a new client.
It should also be concise. That way, people will be more inclined to read it, rather than skimming it and risking missing critical information. And for emails that require more length and detail, keep it as focused as you can. “Nobody wants to receive a novel.
You want to keep it between three, four, or five lines of text,”. Remember to communicate requests clearly and give recipients all the information they need to carry out the request. To ensure that your recipients follow your requests, you need to motivate them to do so.
You can do this by:
Clear instructions of what you wish them to do.
Reasons why your request is relevant to them.
Below is an example of an email telling team leaders about the annual review process in their company. Take note about the email:
- clear structure and layout including the use of bullets.
(Bullets – também conhecidos como marcadores, os bullet points são marcas de pontuação frequentemente usadas em textos para introduzir itens em uma lista). - always the use of bold to highlight the importance of one particular instruction.
- the provision of a contact address for queries.
- the final line which is designed to thank the recipient and help them understand the importance of completing the task.
Dear Carol,
Please find attached the annual team reviews spreadsheet for this year.
The spreadsheet contains:
- Instructions on how to use the form and the review process this year.
- Attributes to rate your team members.
- A team summary sheet.
- A sheet to complete with your review comments about the team member.
- A marker sheet to insert self-assessment comments.
Instructions:
- Read the spreadsheet instructions before completing your team review.
- Return the completed spreadsheet by Wednesday, December 5th.
- Email any questions to: annualreviews@thecompany.com
Thank you for your cooperation. Your contribution will help improve your team’s performance in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Beth McKnight
Sales Team.
Closing your email.
Just as you want to start things off on the right foot with your greeting, you also want to part well. That means writing a friendly sign-off. And there are plenty of options to choose from. You’ll want to write a closing that feels genuine to your personality and tailor it to the relationship to ensure an appropriate level of professionalism.
Example of a good way to close your email.
Thank you for taking the time to review the export declaration and the other documents.
Please let me know if there’s anything else you need.
Sincerely,
Beth McKnight
Examples of professional email closings.
Here are a few of the most common ways to end a professional email:
- Best
- Sincerely
- Regards
- Kind regards
- Thank you
- With gratitude
- Many thanks
- Respectfully
Examples of email closings to avoid.
Here are some email closing phrases you should avoid in professional environments:
- Your friend
- Cheers
- Thanks a bunch
- Chat soon
- Yours truly
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